John Wall may surprise when he returns to the Houston Rockets squad in the near future.
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Wall hasn’t played for the Rockets since last season when he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game in 40 appearances. He had to take a break at the end of the season to protect him from injury and maintain his commercial value.
Wall and the Rockets agreed that he wouldn’t play until he found the right deal, but according to ESPN, The two sides discussed Wall’s return soon. Part of the Rockets’ dilemma in bringing back Wall is that he can take game time away from their young future backgrounds in Kevin Porter Jr and rookie Jalen Green.
Although he was not able to compete, he practiced and trained with the team. Rockets Head Coach Stephen Silas says he’s a positive influencer on younger players.
“He was great for our team,” said Silas. “He was very good at watching movies with the boys and pulling them aside when they left the field… he was definitely a helpful presence.”
THAN: Should the Rockets play John Wall?
Houston bought Wall in a deal that brought Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards, then took a gamble that Wall would overcome the injuries that have plagued his career since the 2016-17 NBA season. Wall still has two years left, owes $91 million, making it a lot harder to find a trading partner.
After splitting the opening two, the Rockets lost their next fifteen games in a row before breaking that streak with a win over the Bulls on Wednesday. They still have the worst record in the league with a 2-16 scoreline ahead of Saturday’s game against Charlotte.
