It would be difficult to find an athlete who did more for the DC community and city than WallNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
While the Wizards trading G John Wall to the Rockets for G Russell Westbrook "makes objectively good basketball sense," Wall has been "beloved in DC for much more" than his on-court play, according to Chase Hughes of NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON. Hughes: "You could go back through the entire history of professional sports in Washington and find no one who has done more for the community or embraced the city more than he did." Wall "lifted the Wizards out of despair," out of "one of the most uniquely dysfunctional eras in NBA history." But the Wizards "got a better, healthier player" and the first round pick sent to the Rockets in the deal is "unlikely to turn into disaster given how it begins as lottery-protected" in '23. Hughes: "This is not going to be easy for Wizards fans to accept" (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 12/2).
INJURY, RISE OF BEAL A FACTOR: In DC, Ben Golliver writes Wall and the Wizards "had their share of good times," and over the past 10 years, he "helped the franchise turn the page" from an incident involving former NBAer Gilbert Arenas. Wall was "fast, stubborn and straight-talking, more relatable than the typical superstar." But when he "tore his Achilles’ tendon two years ago," the injury became an "untenable situation." As G Bradley Beal "emerged as a franchise player himself," the Wizards’ "dependence on Wall decreased and their need for players to complement Beal increased." Their "top priority had become appeasing Beal," who can become a free agent in '22, and "building a winner around him." Westbrook "poses less injury risk than Wall," he is a "more productive overall player and he should benefit from a move to the weaker Eastern Conference" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/3).
OWNER ISSUES: THE ATHLETIC's David Aldridge wrote the Wizards "came to believe in Bradley Beal more than John Wall," and so they "had to move on from Wall." It is "nonetheless jarring to mark the end of Wall’s decade-long tenure." But Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder, Chair & CEO Ted Leonsis also had "come to believe that Wall was, often if not always, 'too cool for school,' in his thinking." A "shirtless video of Wall at a party this summer, flashing gang signs, was the last straw." A source said, "At the end of the day, this is a Ted call" (THEATHLETIC.com, 12/2). YAHOO SPORTS' Vincent Goodwill wrote the "good news" is both Wall and Westbrook "care deeply about their names, their games and surrounding communities, and the public hit should be a motivating factor." The "bad news is both care about being in charge, a huge factor in their departures, but both are going to places where they won’t be in charge" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/2).
