Houston Rockets: 3 reasons the Rockets shouldn’t buyout John Wall

Reason #1 the Houston Rockets shouldn’t buyout John Wall: He can still turn it around

There is no chance that John Wall will ever live up to his contract. It’s not his fault, it’s the fault of the Washington Wizards for giving him a contract that far outstripped his actual ability.

Wall is going to make more over these next three seasons than LeBron James. From the moment he signed his super-max extension it was one of the worst contracts in the league, because, while Wall was a very good player, he was never a top-ten player.

All of that being said, there’s a real chance that Wall could turn it around over the next two seasons and provide some real production for the Rockets. If Wall wasn’t on one of the largest contracts in the sport his first season in Houston, coming off an Achilles injury, would be viewed as a positive development.

It has been reported that Wall will need a left knee scope at some point between now and the beginning of next season. With better health, a less grueling schedule, and a full offseason to get adjusted to a new offense there’s a good chance that Wall will have a better season than this one.

Wall’s 20.8 points per game are the second-highest mark of his career and on a per 36-minute basis he’s averaging a career-best of 23.4 points. His assist totals have been lower than usual but it’s hard to post gaudy assist numbers when you play on a bottom-five shooting team in the league.

Will Wall ever be a superstar again? No, but there’s a decent argument that he never was and all the Rockets need is a steady hand in the backcourt over the next two seasons. The Rockets are building for a future without John Wall, but that doesn’t mean he has no place in their present.

Buying out John Wall doesn’t help the Rockets achieve any of their goals. It won’t save them money and it won’t accelerate their rebuild. John Wall might not be a part of the next great Rockets team, but keeping him around might help lay that foundation.