Houston Rockets

John Wall hasn't played all season for the Houston Rockets, and he's still getting paid. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted Saturday that he believes paying players not to play is an issue.

"Of course I think it's a problem when players are paid not to play," Silver told reporters.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported in September that the Rockets and Wall mutually agreed to find the veteran point guard a new home. The two sides reportedly met and came to the decision after seeing "eye-to-eye" on the direction of the franchise.

The Rockets are transitioning to a younger roster after trading former franchise cornerstone James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in January 2021. Houston now plans to build around players like Jalen Green, Jae'Sean Tate, Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood.

Wall is currently one of two players on Houston's roster over the age of 30, joining guard Eric Gordon.

In November, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported there had been "zero traction" on a trade for Wall. The news came after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported it was "increasingly likely" the five-time All-Star would not play this season because his hefty contract was prohibiting the Rockets from trading him (h/t CBSSports.com's Brandon Boykin).

Wall is in the third season of a four-year, $171.1 million deal. He has a $44.3 million cap hit this season and a $47.3 million player option for the 2022-23 campaign.

Wall can still be an effective player for a title-contending team. During the 2020-21 season, he averaged 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and 31.7 percent from deep in 40 games. It was his first season back from knee and Achilles injuries that sidelined him for the 2019-20 campaign.

However, at this point, Wall might not get his chance to play until the 2022-23 season. The Rockets could still waive him, but they also could have done that months ago. 

It appears like new Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden might have always wanted to play alongside Joel Embiid. 

During his time with the Houston Rockets, Harden reportedly urged former general manager Daryl Morey, who is now the 76ers' president of basketball operations, to trade for Embiid, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski. 

"Harden may not have a direct history with Embiid, but he has always respected him," Shelburne and Wojnarowski wrote. 

It's not necessarily surprising that Harden wanted to team up with Embiid in Philadelphia. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in January that Harden felt he could have the same level of success with the Sixers as he did with the Rockets. 

“Joel Embiid is the alpha dog for the Sixers, commanding the lion’s share of shots and serving as the focal point of the franchise, a dynamic that could make some ball-dominant players pursue an opportunity elsewhere. But sources said Harden would welcome playing with Embiid if he became a Sixer. The guard had a lot of individual success playing for Morey as a Rocket. Sources say Harden believes he could have similar success playing alongside Embiid.”

Adding Harden to the mix undoubtedly makes the Sixers a bigger threat in the Eastern Conference. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from deep. 

While Harden's 22.5 points per game are the lowest since the 2011-12 campaign, just his third season in the NBA, his scoring output is good enough for second on the Sixers behind Embiid, who is averaging 29.4 points per contest and is in the MVP conversation. 

In addition, Harden is likely in for a more significant role in Philly. He'll step into a lineup that includes Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, taking on more of a responsibility from the latter two players. 

The 2009 third overall pick will also serve as the perfect complement to Embiid. Both players are dominant scorers, but Harden excels from the perimeter and getting to the foul line, while Embiid is good at getting jump shots from mid-range and causing defenders trouble in the post. Essentially, neither player should get in each other's way. 

The 76ers enter Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-22 record. While Harden won't see the floor Friday or Saturday, he could play on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. The veteran is still dealing with a hamstring injury and needs to be checked out by Philly's medical staff before taking the court.

The Boston Celtics have traded Dennis Schroder, Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando to the Houston Rockets for Daniel Theis, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Wojnarowski noted Freedom will be waived by Houston.

Schroder, who signed a one-year, $5.9 million contract last offseason with the C's, is averaging 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

The 28-year-old, who has played for the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics over his nine-year career, is shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three-point range.

Brian Robb of MassLive explained on Jan. 27 why Schroder, who has fared well for the Celtics, could be involved in a trade:

Schroder signed a one-year, $5.9 million contract last August, making him an obvious candidate to be moved if Brad Stevens wants to secure some value for the potential offseason flight risk. The Celtics do not have any cap space this summer and do not hold Bird Rights on Schroder, limiting the amount they can offer him in contract negotiations this summer. Many assume Schroder will be able to get a bigger deal outside of Boston but a closer look (more on that later) at the cap teams in 2022 signals that’s far from a sure thing.

Boston's loss is Houston's gain as the Rockets get a proven scorer and ball-handler who will provide great backcourt depth.

The Celtics could also stand to shake up their rotation, especially with the team scuffling through a 31-25 season that sees it sitting squarely in the middle of the Eastern Conference despite a recent run of success that includes a six-game winning streak.

With this deal, Boston will be reuniting with Theis, who spent the first three-plus years of his career with the team. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while playing 18.8 minutes per game during his first stint with Boston from 2017 to 2021.

The 29-year-old is averaging 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season.

If the Los Angeles Lakers decide to pursue a Russell Westbrook-for-John Wall trade, the Houston Rockets reportedly won't settle for a straight one-for-one deal.

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein in his Substack newsletter, the Rockets won't entertain the trade unless the Lakers include their 2027 first-round draft pick.

The Rockets originally acquired Wall for Westbrook in a December 2020 trade with the Washington Wizards. Houston also received a 2023 lottery-protected first-round draft pick in that deal.   

Ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, there is still no clear indication if the Lakers are going to move Westbrook.

B/R's Eric Pincus reported a Westbrook deal is "unlikely" unless LeBron James decides that Wall is a better fit for this Lakers roster and "is willing to push extremely hard for Westbrook's exit."

The inclusion of Los Angeles' 2027 first-round pick could make things a tricky proposition for the organization. 

Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has been telling teams in trade discussions that they "are not willing to include" the pick in a deal. 

The New Orleans Pelicans have control of Los Angeles' first-round draft picks through 2026 as part of the compensation from the Anthony Davis trade.

Wall has not appeared in a game for the Rockets this season.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in November the five-time All-Star was in talks with Houston general manager Rafael Stone about a return-to-play plan, but it would likely require a compromise on both sides "between respecting his stature with a supermax contract and the Rockets' desire to have him play a complementary role to help develop their young core."

Wall and Westbrook have virtually identical contracts that would make it easy to facilitate a move from a financial perspective. Wall is earning $44.3 million this season with a $47.4 million player option for next season. 

Westbrook has a $44.2 million salary this season and a $47.1 million option for 2022-23. The 2016-17 NBA MVP has struggled in his first season with the Lakers. He is averaging 18.3 points on 43.5 percent shooting from the field, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has benched Westbrook in the fourth quarter of games against the New York Knicks on Feb. 5 and Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 8. 

Los Angeles currently sits in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 26-30 record and has lost 11 of its past 16 games.    

Christian Wood and Eric Gordon have been regularly mentioned in trade rumors ahead of Thursday's deadline, but both appear confident they'll remain with the Houston Rockets.

"This is my first year being in trade rumors. I'm not really a fan of it. I don't want it anymore," Wood told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. "This is my home. This is where I want to be. I've told (Stephen) Silas and Tilman (Fertitta) and Pat (Fertitta) and Raf (Stone), and they have the same feeling about me."

Wood saw his name bandied about heavily in trade talks when he and Kevin Porter Jr. were suspended for conduct detrimental to the team for their actions in a loss to the Denver Nuggets last month. The forward-center apologized to the team for his actions, which included a refusal to enter the game in the second half, and he has returned to his regular spot in the rotation ever since.

While there are undoubtedly teams that would covet Wood's versatile skill set, he's only 26 years old and playing under a reasonable contract. It would likely take a first-round pick and a promising young big to get the Rockets to move him before the deadline. 

Gordon, meanwhile, is in the midst of a bounce-back 2021-22 campaign and has been mentioned as a trade target for contending teams looking for a bench scoring option. 

"I don't even worry about it," Gordon said of the rumors. "You always hear about different rumors. (Rumors) are going to happen. I know what kind of value I have. This team also knows what kind of value I have. I just go out there and play. I play to do well. Whether it's here or elsewhere, it's what I plan on doing."

Gordon's contract may cause some pause among contenders, as his $20.9 million salary for 2023-24 becomes guaranteed if he plays 500 regular-season minutes and/or 750 regular and postseason minutes and his team wins a championship.

Gordon's $19.6 million salary for next season is guaranteed. While there's some logic in moving the 33-year-old guard before the deadline, Gordon's leadership and veteran mentality have had a positive impact on the young Houston locker room. 

The Houston Rockets are reportedly asking for at least a first-round pick in exchange for veteran guard Eric Gordon.

On Friday's episode of The Hoop Collective (at the 24:20 mark), ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst both said sources told them the Rockets won't accept anything less than a first-round pick for Gordon:

The 14-34 Rockets figure to be major sellers leading up to the Feb. 10 trade deadline, and Gordon could be among their most sought-after assets thanks to his experience and shooting ability.

The 33-year-old Gordon is in his sixth season with the Rockets, and he has been effective for a rebuilding team.

In 41 games, he is averaging 14.6 points, 3.2 assists, 2.3 three-pointers made and 2.0 rebounds. He is shooting a career-best 50.0 percent from the field along with making 44.5 percent from beyond the arc.

While he's known as a strong three-point shooter, Gordon only makes 37.1 percent of his three-point attempts for his career, and this season marks just the second time he has shot better than 40.0 percent from long range.

In 14 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans and Rockets, Gordon owns career averages of 16.5 points, 2.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 three-pointers made.

He is signed through at least next season, while his $20.9 million salary for 2023-24 is non-guaranteed.

A contending team in search of a veteran guard with shooting ability is likely to check in on Gordon, although the asking price may be high for a complementary player.

The Rockets don't have to trade Gordon given that he isn't an impending free agent, but it may behoove them to do so.

They are in last place in the Western Conference with no incentive to win games.

Trading Gordon could help them land a better draft pick and open up playing time for the likes of Garrison Mathews, Josh Christopher, David Nwaba and Armoni Brooks.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat are both reportedly interested in veteran point guard John Wall should he become a free agent, per NBA reporter Marc Stein (h/t HoopsHype). 

Wall, 31, has not appeared in any games for the Houston Rockets this season after reportedly agreeing to sit out while they sought a trade. No trade has materialized to this point, however. 

The issue with trading Wall is his contract is massive. He's owed $44.3 million this season and has a player option for $47.4 million next season that he will almost assuredly exercise. 

Perhaps in Wall's prime, teams would have considered taking on such a prohibitive salary. But Wall has played in just 113 games over the past five seasons and missed the entirety of the 2019-20 season with a ruptured Achilles.

When he returned for the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, shooting 40.4 percent from the field and just 31.7 percent from three. Solid numbers but not the sort of production worthy of his salary. 

So the alternative is agreeing to a buyout with the Rockets, though Wall would obviously be leaving a massive amount of money on the table if he went that route. 

When Blake Griffin reached a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons last season, for instance, he gave up a pretty penny to move on and eventually sign with the Brooklyn Nets:

The other option for Wall would be sitting out the remainder of the season, declining his player option and becoming a free agent. But that seems incredibly unlikely—Wall wouldn't get anywhere close to the $47.4 million he's owed on that option. He'd likely be giving up far more money going that route than he would agreeing to a buyout with the Rockets. 

As for the Clippers and Heat, Wall would make varying levels of sense for each team. The Clippers have been beset by injuries and are currently without superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. At this point, getting any help would make sense for a 24-25 Clippers team looking to stay afloat. 

The Heat, on the other hand, are 30-17 and already have veteran Kyle Lowry running the point, though he's shown an ability to play off the ball throughout his career and could theoretically pair with Wall in the backcourt. 

That could mean bumping a player like Duncan Robinson to the bench or convincing Wall to run the second unit as the backup point guard. It would be another compromise for Wall, who would likely also be eating a big chunk of money in a buyout. 

For the chance to get back on the court with a contender, however, it might be a sacrifice worth making.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is reportedly the only "realistic" target for the Houston Rockets if they want to move guard John Wall before the 2022 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 10.

Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated reported the update Tuesday on The Hoop Collective podcast (23-minute mark):

I was told that they have a couple on the table, several on the table, but the only one that's really has some, you know, realistic potential to it is with the Lakers for Russ. They actually make, I don't know if it's nearly to the same dollar, but a similar salary, so you can trade them one-for-one without including anybody else. That 2027 Laker pick that you mentioned before, that first-round pick, seems to be pretty coveted, and I would expect it to be included in such a deal. But John's in Miami. He's been working out. He actually asked the Rockets for permission to be in Miami so he could be near his kids and focus on working out.

Spears added that there are other options on the table for the Rockets but said they are long shots in terms of getting a deal done. He also noted it's unclear whether Westbrook would accept a lesser role in Houston if a blockbuster swap is made:

I've basically have heard that there's a couple other possibilities, but they're more pie-in-the-sky possibilities, and it's not out of the realm of possibility for this one to happen. To me, I think that as of today, this is the only trade for John Wall. If it happens, and Westbrook does come back, the Rockets get somebody that at least they know. So, I was told that they would be open-minded, as crazy as this may sound, for him to play with this team, but it would be under the same circumstances that they asked Wall to do where it would probably be coming off the bench. So, would Russell Westbrook want to come off the bench for the Rockets? I think he loves playing, loves basketball and would get minutes. It just would be an off-the-bench thing that he's never done in maybe his whole life. I don't know if maybe he did that at UCLA. But if not and they make that acquisition, then perhaps they do the same thing they're doing with Wall where he just stays in L.A. and works out and they try to figure something out in the offseason.

Wall has yet to play for the Rockets during the 2021-22 season while awaiting a potential trade.

In November, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported there were discussions about the five-time All-Star possibly joining the team's rotation, but the sides were at odds about the type of role he would play upon his return, with the team preferring to remain focused on the future and giving its young core the lion's share of the minutes.

The veteran guard has more recently been in "constant communication" with the front office while in Miami "working on his conditioning and ramping up workouts" in case a trade is worked out, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

Wall played well for the Rockets last season after being acquired from the Washington Wizards, fittingly in a deal that also featured Westbrook. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 40 appearances.

Trading him has proved difficult, however, in large part because of the two seasons left on his lucrative four-year, $171 million contract, which includes a $47.4 million player option for next season.

Meanwhile, the Lakers acquired Westbrook from the Wizards as part of an offseason roster overhaul that hasn't delivered the desired results. Los Angeles owns a 23-24 record and has yet to look like a title contender for any extended stretch of time.

Superstar forward Anthony Davis is nearing a return from a knee injury, which will move L.A. closer to its desired rotation and give the front office a couple weeks to assess the situation with Westbrook, Davis and LeBron James in the lineup before the deadline.

If the Lakers continue to hover around .500, it's fair to wonder whether they would at least consider a Westbrook-for-Wall swap in search of a spark for the season's second half.

Should that idea not come fruition, it sounds like the Rockets may have to wait until the summer to see whether they can find a taker for the final year of Wall's contract.

The Houston Rockets continue to explore the trade market for John Wall, but they don't appear as willing to move Eric Gordon or Christian Wood ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported Monday that the Rockets continue to canvass the league in hopes of shedding Wall's contract and providing the five-time All-Star an opportunity to resume his career. Wall has not played this season after the Rockets reached an organizational decision to focus playing time on their young talent.

The Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams that have expressed interest in acquiring Wall, but it does not appear a deal is close to getting done. Teams are hesitant to take on Wall's $44.3 million salary for this season and $47.4 million player option for 2022-23, and they also lack the type of matching salaries necessary to make a deal work under the cap.

The Rockets are reportedly less open to deals for Gordon or Wood, both of whom have generated significant interest.

Gordon is in the midst of a stellar season, shooting a career-high 45.2 percent from three-point range and offering locker room leadership to the young Rockets team. While contenders would jump at the chance at adding Gordon's floor spacing to the mix, Houston management reportedly prefers to keep the veteran on the roster due to his presence behind the scenes.

Gordon is under contract for $19.6 million in 2022-23 and has a non-guaranteed salary of $20.9 million for 2023-24. Assuming he can continue his current level of play, Gordon's trade value will only rise—particularly if teams want to get out from under bad salary in 2023-24.

Wood's status with the Rockets seemed on shakier ground after the team suspended him and Kevin Porter Jr. earlier this month for their conduct in a Jan. 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Wood refused to enter the game in the second half after playing only eight minutes in the first half due to disciplinary issues.

The team has seemingly moved past the incident, with Wood starting the Rockets' last nine games.

Wall is the only veteran player on the roster whom the Rockets are eager to move, but his onerous salary makes it nearly impossible. It's far more likely that the two sides will come together for a buyout agreement after the trade deadline if Wall truly wants to force his way out of Houston. 

The Houston Rockets are "open for business" ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline as they seek to rebuild the struggling franchise, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, David Aldridge and John Hollinger.

One rival executive told The Athletic that the Rockets are "on the lookout for a franchise centerpiece-worthy player and thus open to all sorts of possibilities."

At 13-32, Houston has the worst record in the Western Conference and few sure things on the roster. Even leading scorer Christian Wood reportedly "can be had" at the right price.

Wood was a revelation after joining Houston on a three-year, $41 million deal in 2020. He set career highs with 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

The 26-year-old has been effective in 2021-22 as well, averaging 17.6 points and 10.1 rebounds, but it hasn't been enough to help Houston move up in the standings. With one year left on his contract, the Rockets could package him in a trade that helps the rebuild.

It seems the jury is also still out on Jalen Green after Houston selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft.

The 19-year-old is averaging 15.0 points per game this season, but he is shooting just 39.7 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from three-point range. He is responsible for negative-0.6 win shares, per Basketball Reference.

Though the Rockets consider Green "a big part of their future," per The Athletic, they seemingly are still on the hunt for a key player to build around.

Veterans Eric Gordon, Daniel Theis, David Nwaba and D.J. Augustin are among those who could be on the move before the deadline.