NBA Rumors: Wizards Could Dump John Wall To Knicks For Julius Randle And Bobby Portis
The Washington Wizards have made it clear that they have no intention of moving Bradley Beal and undergoing a full-scale rebuild, but they could move the other superstar on their roster — John Wall. Since suffering an Achilles injury, Wall — who is owed $132.8 million over three years — is currently viewed as a financial burden rather than the player that would lead the Wizards back to title contention. With his health issues and massive contract, finding a team that is willing to take the point guard would be tough for the Wizards.
However — once he becomes officially available on the trading block — some teams that desperately want to add a superstar to their roster could still express interest in acquiring Wall. According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, one of the potential suitors for Wall is the New York Knicks. If they fail to acquire their top targets this fall, Bailey suggested that the Knicks could offer a package that includes Julius Randle and Bobby Portis.
“The New York Knicks are one team that may be desperate enough to make a splash in the trade market, assuming they miss out on some of the other possibilities already detailed. New York has plenty of salary-matching contracts it can combine to get to Wall’s money. For example, the deals for Julius Randle and Bobby Portis would satisfy the CBA. At that point, it’d be about adding little pieces going either direction to make it worthwhile. And even if any of those Knicks are only Wizards for a year, the contribution of opening up that long-term flexibility would likely make them worthwhile acquisitions.”
Wall may have missed an entire season recovering from an injury, but once he returns to 100 percent health and regains his All-Star form he would fulfill the Knicks’ dream of adding a legitimate superstar to their roster. Wall could help the Knicks become a competitive team in the Eastern Conference, while they wait for the full development of their young core. As compensation for absorbing his contract, the Knicks could also demand a future draft pick from the Wizards.
Meanwhile, for the Wizards, the proposed deal is more about creating salary cap flexibility. Successfully getting rid of Wall’s massive contract will give Washington enough salary cap space to find Beal’s new running mate in the summer of 2021, when the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard are set to become free agents.
