John Wall Trade Rumors: Will Washington Wizards Get A Trade Demand Before NBA Deadline?

John Wall trade rumors, stemming from the Washington Wizards point guard being frustrated with the new CBA, have been crisscrossing social media. Now many NBA analysts are debating about whether the Wizards will be forced to deal Wall before the NBA trade deadline. A recent report by the Washington Post showed that Wall feels undervalued and underappreciated. It points to Wall possibly wanting to go to a different market to play basketball, which, if true, would lead to a trade demand from the All-Star point guard.

Wall is still under contract through the 2018-19 season in a very team-friendly deal. While most star players in the league are making more than $20 million a season, Wall makes just about $17 million for the current NBA season. It will increase to just over $19 million in two years, but it isn’t close to the salaries of players like Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, James Harden, or Kevin Durant. Add in the lack of exposure from missing the playoffs, slumping attendance at Wizards games, and the mounting losses. This creates a situation where Wall may want out of Washington soon.

Despite winning their last two games, the Washington Wizards are 11th in the latest Eastern Conference standings. The team is at risk of missing the NBA playoffs again, suggesting that big changes need to be made. Due to the team-friendly contract that Wall still has, he could be a hot commodity if the franchise actually started shopping him around the league. That is the same reason why it becomes risky for the Wizards to move on from Wall, as he is locked up at an affordable rate for two more seasons after the current one ends.

A report by an executive producer at USA Today states that the Washington Wizards have already begun exploring a move that would center around their star point guard. This has created even more John Wall trade rumors, linking him to teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and even the New York Knicks. None of these rumors have been substantiated (yet) and the front office in Washington has been very quiet publicly when the topic comes up. This could mean that the team is either content to hang on to Wall or that there are active trade discussions already taking place.

If the franchise has been waiting for Wall’s value to reach its peak then a deal could be coming very soon. Wall is having the best statistical season of his career and looks guaranteed to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Through 23 games this season, Wall is averaging 24.2 points, 9.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.

Wall is also only playing 36.2 minutes a night, suggesting his numbers could get even better if the team needs to lean on him down the stretch. The question becomes whether the Wizards will even be in the playoff race when March and April finally roll around. Wall ranks 13th in scoring, third in assists, and first in steals for the entire NBA. In a typical season, those numbers might be good enough to garner All-NBA first team honors, but Wall is likely behind Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry in the eyes of the voters.

The NBA season is only about two months old, but there have been a lot of early rumors about teams like the Washington Wizards blowing up their roster to go in a different direction. Past stories about the Wizards have suggested that John Wall and Bradley Beal don’t get along, creating an atmosphere where the guards aren’t capable of finding postseason success together. Those stories are very similar to when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder were rumored to not get along off the court.

So what is it that the Wizards will do in the coming weeks and months? If the stories are true about Wall being unhappy even playing in Washington, then a deal may be on the horizon. The Wizards could expect a very nice package of young players and draft picks in exchange for a player like Wall, with a long list of suitors willing to make substantial offers. If the Wizards continue to lose games and fade in the race to make the NBA Playoffs, fans of the team should expect the number of John Wall trade rumors to increase substantially.

[Featured Image by Rob Carr/Getty Images]