Washington Wizards: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the John Wall for Russell Westbrook trade

So it looks like the rumors were true after all. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from the John Wall and Russell Westbrook trade for the Washington Wizards.

I guess it’s true what they say, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Just a couple of weeks ago, GM Tommy Sheppard tried to quiet down the rumors that John Wall requested a trade after Shams Charania of The Athletic tweeted that the five-time All-Star wanted out of Washington. Now, Wall’s ten-year run with the Wizards has officially ended. Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news about the trade late Wednesday night, and D.C. has been in a whirlwind ever since.

The Wizards traded John Wall and a protected 2023 first-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook. Below are the details of the protections on the 2023 first-round pick per Charania:

There were rumblings of this trade possibly coming to fruition just a few short weeks ago, however, the Rockets were supposedly seeking a bunch of assets in return and the Wizards were unwilling to part with any. The Wizards stuck firm on that decision, and GM Tommy Sheppard deserves a ton of credit for not being pressured into a bad deal.

Adding a high-caliber, superstar player in Russell Westbrook without mortgaging their future is huge! With Beal’s ascension to superstar status, the Wizards are back in contention in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards won this trade but there are levels to such a superstar transaction.

Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of this deal for Washington Wizards.