NBA Trade Rumors 2016: John Wall Needs A New Team Now
NBA trade rumors continue to be in full swing right before Christmas, and the perfect gift for Washington Wizards point guard John Wall would be to be involved in a trade to a new team. Wall has been in the NBA for six seasons, and if he ever wants to win a championship, he needs to get a change of scenery.
Though the NBA Trade Deadline isn’t until February 23, the sooner Wall can leave Washington, the better for both parties. The Wizards have a losing record of 13-15, and Wall is playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career, averaging 23.7 points per game. Wall is playing above his career average of 18.4 ppg.
This NBA season, Wall averages nearly 10 assists per game too, so when the trade talks continue, Wall must be a name that gets moved to not just any team, but a team that he can help take to the next level and compete.
Some believe a trade of Wall could be a possibility but wonder if it is necessary. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report wrote a recent NBA trade article on if trading Wall would be the right decision for the Wizards.
“As for Wall, trading him seems hasty, too. Washington is struggling to live up to expectations for the second year in a row. But it’s tough to blame that on Wall.”
That brings me back to my point concerning a trade of Wall… he needs to be on a different, and even more importantly, a better NBA franchise for his own sake.
Still, any chance of Wall being on a different franchise is still just another NBA trade rumor, but think about if he’s on a team like the Los Angeles Lakers. They seem to be headed in the right direction and have good young talent. Having six years in the league under his belt, Wall could fit nicely with that franchise if he were involved with a trade to a team like the Lakers.
Currently, the Lakers point guard is D’Angelo Russell, and he’s averaging 15.0 ppg in his second NBA season. If you were the Lakers, who are nine games under 0.500 at 11-20 overall, would you try to make a trade of Russell and others for Wall?
It isn’t an exact science of what the Wizards would need in return for a trade of Wall, but Russell was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, so there is very high potential for him, too.
Yes, the Lakers have a worse record than the Wizards right now, but switch Wall, who is a former All-Star, with Russell in a lineup that also includes Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng, and that team could climb out of the cellar in the West. A trade of Wall on a team built like the Lakers could also make them a team to be reckoned with in the near future, but probably not this season.
The Lakers aren’t overtaking the likes of the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs during the 2016-17 season, but having Wall in their lineup would be very interesting to see and exciting to watch. We all know the Lakers won’t be down in the West forever, so they are eventually making a trade or two, and Wall could be the answer.
As the NBA continues its season, Wall is really hitting a hot streak of sorts, averaging 25.5 ppg in his past 10 games, including 23 points in 36 minutes Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls. Wall also finished with six rebounds and nine assists.
Numbers like that on a team that is below 0.500 will make any NBA team think about a potential trade of a talented point guard like Wall. All of that said, there is just a feeling Wall’s talents are being all for naught in Washington right now, but maybe some of the NBA trade rumors are true and he is on the market. If so, the Lakers and others need to take a good look at him and make a trade happen.
[Featured Image by Rob Carr/Getty Images]
