Anybody could understand if there was a bit of bad blood between John Wall and the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards, who once built around Wall as their franchise cornerstone, traded the five-time All-Star to the Houston Rockets within days of Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard saying that there were no plans to trade him. After spending his first 10 years as a professional athlete with the Wizards’ organization, perhaps being traded left an acrid taste in his mouth.
However, it was understandable why the Wizards would have wanted to move on from a business side. Russell Westbrook’s desire to be traded from the Rockets, and the objective improvement he would have been over Wall—especially if the latter couldn’t regain form—already made the trade a tempting offer.
According to Wall, prior to Tuesday’s matchup against the Wizards, he hadn’t spoken to former head coach Scott Brooks or his former teammates in “almost two months.”
“Guys have my number. I have those guys’ numbers. If they wanted to talk to or reach out to me, they had the opportunity to.”
For what it’s worth, Wall is likely the happier partier after the trade, as he’s on a team where he feels wanted and he’s showing that he’s still a special talent after being off the court for more than a season.
Meanwhile, the Wizards are 3-11 and struggling to keep franchise star Bradley Beal happy.
