Report: John Wall tells Houston Rockets he's ready to play

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, John Wall has informed the Houston Rockets that he would like to resume playing with the team in the near future. 

The 31-year-old point guard has yet to play for the Rockets this season after he and the front office came to an agreement this summer where he would sit out games while the organization looked for a trade. 

However, the Rockets have found it difficult to find any suitors. As the remaining two years and $91.6 million on Wall’s contract have been a stumbling block. The franchise and Wall have also not gained any traction on a buy-out as Wall hasn’t been willing to take less money to become a free agent. 

Wall was once one of the most explosive guards in the league. He was a five-time All-Star and made an All-NBA team while with the Washington Wizards, the franchise who drafted him number one overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. 

Nagging injuries to his knees and heels began to take a toll on him while still in Washington. An Achilles tear suffered while rehabbing a heel surgery in 2019 has seen him play only 72 games over the past four seasons. 

Wall, once again, is healthy and appears eager to prove that he can still contribute at a high level. The Rockets asked Wall to sit out the season so they could give ample playing time to their two young guards, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. The organization decided to keep Wall around the team as a mentor to an increasingly young roster. 

With no trades on the horizon, it appears that Wall is tired of being a mentor, especially when he could help the Rockets improve on their 2-16 record. John Wall might not be the player he once was, but he clearly believes he can offer this Rockets team more than a warm bench.