John Wall is heading to LA after Clippers reach deal with Rockets

Los Angeles, California - Five-time All-Star guard John Wall plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after reaching a buyout agreement with the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN.

John Wall training with the Houston Rockets in November 2021.
John Wall training with the Houston Rockets in November 2021.  © CARMEN MANDATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Wall will give up $6.5million of the $47.4m he was owed for the upcoming season, the final one of a four-year, $171m extension he signed in 2017 while still with the Washington Wizards.

The 31-year-old will be joining a Clippers team that reached the Western Conference Finals in 2020-21 but were ousted by the Minnesota TImberwolves in this year’s play-in, dealing with long injury absences for stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Leonard missed the entire season recovering from a torn ACL sustained in the 2021 playoffs, while a torn elbow ligament limited George to 31 games.

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Wall also did not play in 2021-22 due to reported differences between the veteran and the rebuilding Rockets over his potential role, and he hasn’t played more than 41 games in a season since 2016-17 due to several injuries.

The top pick of the 2010 NBA Draft missed much of 2017-18 due to a knee injury that required surgery and sat the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in January 2019.

Houston signed Wall from the Wizards in December 2020 for former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists in the lone season he took the court for the Rockets, despite being limited to 40 games.

Cover photo: CARMEN MANDATO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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