After finishing this NBA season with a franchise-worst 15-67 record, the Washington Wizards have been fairly active this offseason. Along with drafting overseas prospect Alex Sarr, they traded Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers for Malcolm Brogdon and signed Jonas Valanciunas to a three-year deal.
Although they added 31-year-old Brogdon, this Wizards roster could use another veteran, considering that the majority of the players are still young and lack significant playoff experience. If the Wizards plan on looking for an additional veteran, free agent John Wall could be an excellent choice.
Wizards should sign John Wall to be a veteran presence
It has been over a year since Wall competed in an NBA game, but he has already made it clear that he’s prepared to share his experience and wisdom with young players in the league. He spoke about it during an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George.
""I know a lot of these teams have a lot of young guys on the team. They don't have a lot of vets. I think you need those vets in the locker room. That's what teams are missing. I'm willing to accept any role it is to be on a team.”"John Wall on Podcast P with Paul George
With a total of 11 seasons under his belt, Wall definitely has the knowledge necessary for a youthful team. More importantly, he even possesses playoff experience as he made four postseason appearances throughout his career.
Another clear reason why the Wizards should acquire Wall is because of his past tenure with them.
After getting drafted by them as the first overall pick in 2010, he went on to play his first nine years with them. Due to his highlight-worthy dunks and tough defense, he immediately became a fan favorite in Washington, D.C., and brought hope for the first time since the Gilbert Arenas era.
Despite playing the majority of his time there with elite scorer Bradley Beal, he still averaged 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.7 steals. Although he didn’t collect any major awards, he managed to earn five All-Star selections while making an All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive Second Team.
However, because of multiple injuries, Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets, with whom he played 40 games as a starter. While in Houston, he logged in averages of 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals.
Afterward, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in July 2022. He played 34 games with the Clippers before being traded back to the Rockets, who immediately waived him.
Regardless of his injuries, he showed promise within those two seasons. He played 74 games for the Rockets and Clippers combined and averaged 16.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
As the Wizards’ roster stands right now, Brogdon is the starting point guard, with rookie Bub Carrington having a real shot to take that role from him. Taking Brogdon’s unfortunate injury history into consideration, along with the short list of reserve point guards, acquiring Wall wouldn’t do much harm.
Sure, Wall also has a lengthy timeline of injuries, but even if he doesn’t play, his experience and willingness to offer advice could get them far.