The Houston Rockets have acquired John Wall from the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook in a trade that is sending shockwaves throughout the NBA.
Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard and his Rockets counterpart in Rafael Stone hadn't talked in weeks, but the trade got accelerated after Westbrook didn't report to Houston for the start of training camp, per Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610.
I was told Russell Westbrook never reported to Houston for the start of training camp
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) December 3, 2020
Russell Westbrook reportedly requested a trade from the Rockets a few weeks ago. The former MVP was uneasy about the team’s accountability and culture.
John Wall, who missed the entire 2019-20 season with the Wizards, gets a fresh start in Houston. The former No. 1 overall pick is close friends with Rockets superstar James Harden, but so was Westbrook.
Article Continues BelowThat being said, there's no guarantee Wall and Harden are going to work well together since both guys are ball-dominant players.
The Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2020 playoffs in five games at Walt Disney World. Harden, one of the best scorers in NBA history, has never made it past the Western Conference Finals with Houston.
Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the Rockets in 57 starts last season. However, he wants to play in a system where he has the ball in his hands more.
Houston fans are always going to wonder what would have happened in the playoffs had Westbrook not contracted COVID-19 before the bubble games started and suffered a quad injury. The explosive guard was playing some of the best basketball of his career before the season was suspended in March due to COVID-19.