The Rockets' biggest player on contract right now should be John Wall, and should also be the first player the Rockets should clean up. Because his game efficiency is not only inefficient, but also the contract is big and long.
The Washington Wizards signed John Wall to a four-year, $170 million contract extension in the summer of 2017 that went into effect in the 2019-20 season. Due to multiple injuries, Wall's big contract quickly became what was recognized as the worst deal in the league. The contract was big and long, and Wall, who came from the draft, has become an asset that cannot be traded.
Luckily, the Wizards finally gave Wall a big contract to the Rockets through a trade for Russell Westbrook. And Westbrook is now being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers by the Wizards, so let's look back at how the Wizards got rid of the NBA's worst contract and paid back a decent return.
Why did Wall's deal turn out to be the worst deal in the NBA? This has something to do with the Wizards' magical maneuvering, as early as the 2017-18 season, Wall suffered from injuries in the season when he had just signed his contract, Wall only played 41 games, and in the 2018-19 season, Wall's injuries became more and more serious, and his left heel injury kept him out of the season. When Wall was about to make a comeback, he accidentally slipped in the bathroom at home, and it was such a strange accident that made his injuries worse again, and even his left Achilles tendon was broken. Wall then continued to recuperate from injuries and failed to represent the Wizards.
When Wall's Achilles tendon was torn, his contract was not renewed for long, which meant that he could enjoy the benefits of a big contract while lying down. There is unanimous agreement that his contract has become a completely garbage contract, and multiple draft picks need to be pasted backwards to get rid of such a bad big contract.
Miraculously, the Wizards found a trading partner for Wall: the Houston Rockets. With the Rockets in Westbrook in a hurry to leave the team, the Rockets were in a hurry to find a more suitable trading partner, so they had to give Westbrook to the Wizards back to Wall and a first-round pick, and only a protected 2023 first-round pick. The Wizards estimated that they were all smiling after the trade, because finally a team accepted Wall's big contract.
After just one season in Westbrook, he traded him to the Lakers, swapping him back for Kyle Kuzma, Kentawios Caldwell Pope, Monterrez Harrell and the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and using that first-round pick to select rookie Isaiah Jackson. The deal eventually attracted Spencer Dinwiddie to join. As part of the deal, the Wizards also sent Jackson from the Lakers to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Aaron Holliday and 31st pick Isaiah Todd.
Going back to the details, the Wizards replaced John Wall with Kyle Kuzma, 3D veteran Pop, 2019-20 All-Sixth Man Monterrez Harrell, young potential scorer and organizer Dinwiddie, a young guard Aaron Holliday, and young potential rookie Isaiah Todd. Since much of the deal came from the Westbrook deal, Wizards general manager Tommy Shepard really deserves a medal.
Next, let's count the "outrageous" operations of the Rockets:
1. In the summer offseason of 2017, the Rockets traded Paul with seven players in the first round of the first round of the protection of the top three picks of 2018 plus $660,000.
2. In 2019, the Rockets chose to send Paul away in order to get Westbrook, and the price paid was: the first-round draft pick in 2024, the first-round draft pick in 2026, the first-round draft pick swap in 2021, and the first-round draft pick swap in 2025.
After the comprehensive calculation, it shows that the Rockets exchanged 7 players, two first-round draft picks, two first-round draft pick swaps and 660,000 cash for a Wall with a large contract. It can be seen how bad Wall's contract is, the transaction is risky, and it is good and cherished.