Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards: John Wall Could Spend Entire Career In Washington

By Ben Mehic

Mar 8, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) defends against Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Wizards won 123-113. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) defends against Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Wizards won 123-113. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards guard John Wall reiterated his desire to spend the rest of his career in the nation’s capital, but left the door open for departure.

At the beginning of the season, when the Washington Wizards were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 2-8 record, some began to speculate if John Wall‘s time in the nation’s capital was going to come to an end.

Picked first overall in 2010, Wall has never played with another All-Star in D.C. Ernie Grunfeld has surrounded him with a cast that’s completely reliant on his talent.

But an historic turnaround has changed the fortunes of the Wizards and perhaps Wall’s willingness to stick around long-term.

Washington has become the first team in NBA history to go 15 games above .500 after starting off the season with a 2-8 record.

Currently, the Wizards are sitting third in the Eastern Conference, just a half game behind the second seeded Boston Celtics – the highest Washington’s been in the standings since Wall arrived from Kentucky.

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The Wizards have beaten the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and were a LeBron James, bankshot three away from beating the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Washington has thrust themselves into NBA contention status for the first time in decades.

The NBA climate is such that it makes a trip to the NBA Finals a real possibility for Washington.

LeBron James has more mileage than any other player in the league, making an upset over the Cavaliers more likely.

The rest of the Eastern Conference, mainly the Celtics and Toronto Raptors, doesn’t necessarily stand out.

If the Wizards do make a legitimate push in the postseason, Wall could consider making D.C. his permanent home.

In a recent sit-down with The Undefeated, Wall spoke about his future with the Washington Wizards.

"Can you envision yourself being a Wizards lifer?Yeah. Totally. This is the place where I was drafted. My dad was born and raised here. It’s a place where I love to be. I love the city. The city loves me back. My ultimate goal is to try to win a championship. I don’t see myself wanting to go anywhere else. But you never know what can happen in this business. It’s a tough business. You have to respect and understand what is going on. My goal is that I want to be there."

Wall has two years left on his $85 million deal, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2019.

In the mentioned piece, Wall spoke about the shock that came with seeing his friend, DeMarcus Cousins, get traded from the Sacramento Kings. Cousins, like Wall, constantly reiterated that he wanted to remain in Sacramento, yet was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Wall, unsurprisingly, left the door open for a possible departure.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki are the only well-known players to remain with a single franchise. Hall-of-Famers like Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce hopped from city to city, looking for a final run at a championship.

Next: Why the Wizards Could Get to the NBA Finals

It’s tough to predict where Wall will end up, but as long as the Washington Wizards continue winning, he’ll have no reason to want to leave. Ultimately, winning will make all the difference.

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