Analyzing the Houston Rockets trade of Russell Westbrook for John Wall

The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards have agreed to a blockbuster trade that will send Russell Westbrook to Washington in exchange for John Wall and a first-round pick.

The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards have agreed to a deal that will send Russell Westbrook to Washington in exchange for John Wall and a first-round pick. The two sides had engaged in trade talks earlier in the offseason but the deal was thought to be dead as the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on the amount of compensation headed back to Houston.

That all changed when Russell Westbrook was a no show to Rockets’ training camp earlier today. Rockets’ general manager Rafael Stone, read the writing on the wall and rekindled trade talks with the Wizards.

In only a few hours the two sides were able to hammer out the deal that will reunite Russell Westbrook with his former coach Scott Brooks and will send John Wall and a first-round pick to Houston. In all likelihood, the Rockets had to drop their asking price to get this deal done.

The two guards have drawn comparisons in recent seasons because of their incredible athleticism and gargantuan contracts. However, that is a lazy analysis and the main reason why the two sides worked out a deal is that both players fit better in their new homes.

The Rockets might not have ended up with the better player but they ended up with a player that will fit better next to James Harden. The Rockets have lost the Russell Westbrook trade between them and the OKC Thunder last summer but they were wise to mitigate their losses by moving on from him for a useful player and an additional first-round pick.

The franchise might have their regrets but they got younger and added a future asset. Here’s how John Wall and Westbrook compare and whether how he will fit into the Rockets.

Next: Comparing Wall and Westbrook