WOW factor? John Wall is bought out

The Rockets long-distance relationship with John Wall has come to a non-tear-stained end. ESPN’s Tim “Banned” MacMahon is reporting that Wall will accept a buyout of around $41 million dollars from the Houston Rockets. Closely linked to that number, John will reportedly also sign with the Los Angeles Clippers for the $6.7 million dollar mid-level exception (MLE).

Once part of a trio that mostly existed in the imagination of Rockets fans, called WOW, for Wood, Oladipo, Wall, we can now definitely say the WOW days are over. WOW, those were some short days.

John Wall will, including this buyout, have been paid right around $128 million by the Houston Rockets, and will end his Rockets term having played 1,288 minutes for the team. So, that’s roughly $1 million $100,000 dollars (US) per minute of basketball played for Houston. That might stand as an all-time record, I don’t know. (Oops. Not a million, but $100,000 per minute is still quite a lot. I’m willing to work for half that, easy.)

Kelly Iko, formerly of this parish, had the early (early!) call on the Ballmer/Wall menage.

This is nothing against Wall. The Rockets asked wall not to play. The Rockets traded for him, knowing his deal, and obviously envisioned something other than a full rebuild, at first. One can see the idea of a partnership with James Harden, Christian Wood, Eric Gordon and I suppose, Daniel Theis, as the basis of an interesting team at least. The last time Wall played a full season he was an all-star.

Wall also was a perfect gentleman about not playing basketball. Yes, he was well-compensated to stay home, but as we know, in today’s NBA, remuneration means little in terms of the behavior, and willingness to play basketball, of many. I have no ill-will towards John Wall and wish him the best.

Whatever payment schedule John Wall may receive in his agreement with the Rockets, it’s my understanding that this buyout will count only against this year’s salary cap. Wall’s money will be off the Rockets books for the summer of 2023.

Some have noted that given this deal, the Clippers are unlikely to be able to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein, noted victim of UltimateSmallBall (Westbrook Edition). As useful modern bigs go, the discarded-by-former-Rockets-management Hartenstein is one of them.

So ends WOW, a chapter of Rockets history likely best forgotten.