Houston Rockets: 3 trades of John Wall to the Clippers, Spurs, and Bulls

Houston Rockets trade #3 to get off of John Wall’s contract: Los Angeles Clippers

At first glance, this trade looks lopsided in the Rockets’ favor. They get Marcus Morris, Patrick Beverly, Rajon Rondo, and Luke Kennard for just John Wall and what is likely to be a late first-round pick.

However, the Clippers have been searching in vain to try and find a real shot-creator to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and Wall is just that. What also needs to be taken into consideration is the reality that Clippers have almost no tradable first-round picks.

Due to the Paul George trade, the only pick the Clippers can trade is their 2027 first-round pick. For a team with championship aspirations having movable assets to facilitate upgrades are a must. The final piece of the puzzle that makes this trade work for the Clippers is how it helps their salary cap situation.

Wall’s contract comes to an end after the 2022-23 season but both Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris are under contract in 2023-24 for a combined $31.8 million. This trade allows the Clippers to remain a title contender over the short term and gives them the ability to be flexible in the future.

As long as Kawhi Leonard re-signs the Clippers are championship contenders. Adding Wall is a gamble, but a starting lineup featuring Wall, Leonard, George, and Serge Ibaka is built for the modern NBA.