My Thoughts On The Russell Westbrook Trade
The Rockets traded Russell Westbrook to the Wizards in exchange for John Wall. This was a very interesting trade, and it changes a lot for both of these teams. Today I am going to go over all aspects of the trade, and break it down, grading each team.
Rockets Receive: John Wall and 2023 FRP
Wizards Receive: Russell Westbrook
Houston Rockets
The Rockets were unseuccesful with their duo of Harden and Westbrook, and now it looks like they are going to be rebuilding. They traded away Robert Covington, GM Daryl Morey and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni were relieved of their duties. There have been rumors circulating around Harden and Westbrook for the past few weeks, and now Westbrook is gone.
The first round pick is the best part of the deal for the Rockets however. They’ve been low on draft capital since trading for CP-3 and Westbrook has left them depleted. They are slowly trying to build themselves a future.
John Wall has played just 73 games over 3 seasons since signing that massive extension in 2017. Things have not panned out well for the former All-Star. But adding Wall doesn’t make the Rockets better. Wall still has a massive contract and we don’t know if he’s going to be the same when he returns. Wall has never been a good shooter, so he doesn’t help the Rockets small ball philosophy.
Wall is a decent scorer and passer, but I’m afraid he’s a downgrade to Westbrook and this doesn’t make the Rockets better, it makes them worse. If the Rockets don’t trade Harden, this team could make the playoffs, but as a lower seed. If they trade Harden, then we’ll know that Houston is going full rebuild mode.
Grade: C
Washington Wizards
Ever since signing Wall to that massive extension, the Wizards have run into some bad luck. Wall hasn’t played a lot over the past 3 seasons, and we didn’t know if he’d ever be the same after missing that much time with injury. And we didn’t know if he’d fit well with the new Bradley Beal.
When Wall was in his prime, Beal was primarily a shooter and a 2nd option for the Wizards. Now Beal averages 30 points per game and is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. So I don’t know how those two would have meshed if they had been paired up. But by getting Westbrook, the Wizards do get an improvement.
We know what Westbrook is, and what we’re getting. The fit with Beal is much better as Beal is much more of a team player than Harden. Westbrook still can’t shoot and that will be a problem, but the Wizards could be a decent team.
The Wizards have Bertans, Hachimura, Avdija, and Thomas Bryant. A decent supporting cast. The only thing I worry about with this move is that the Wizards are trying to win too fast. Instead of trying to develop Avdija and Hachimura, they are trying to win. That might hurt them down the line.
The Wizards obviously won’t be contending in the East, but don’t be surprising if they win 35-40 games and sneak into the playoffs (easier to do with 72-game schedule). This doesn’t help the Wizards down the line at all, but they are getting an improved version of Wall, and somebody who can help this team get back into the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Grade: B
This move definitely benefits the Wizards moreso than the Rockets. The Wizards are getting a better version of Wall, and a guy who can make them a sneaky playoff team. The Rockets are getting a worse version of Westbrook who is coming off of major injuries. The Rockets might be rebuilding, but this move doesn’t make sense if they’re trying to “contend” in the West.
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