Westbrook for Wall and 1st - DONE

[Vermont Green]

Houston sends:
Chris Paul
2021 swap
2024 first
2025 swap
2026 first

Houston receives:
John Wall (after 2 years off)
2023 first

This is really the bottom line.  It is not so much about the Westbrook for Wall trade, it is more about what they gave up to get Westbrook in the first place.  I guess the GM who made that trade has been fired (and quickly rehired) but that is really the source of the problems.

Chris Paul and Harden were pretty good together.  If I recall, they had a strong playoff run until Chris Paul got injured.  They gave up way too much for Westbrook.

I actually like Wall.  He is (was) a tough, big time player.  Just don't see him staying healthy at this point.  I guess Houston figured cut their losses with Westbrook, get at least one pick back, and take a chance on Wall.  As I said, this trade is probably not so bad, and may even work out, it is the first Westbrook trade that is haunting them.

From what has been reported when Tillman Fertitta bought the team he told Morey to move Chris Paul no matter the cost calling it the worst contract he had ever seen (or something like that).  He didn't want to pay him that kind of money and not many teams would take Paul, so that is what they were left with.  I do wonder if they should have tried to move him to Washington for Wall.  They might have actually gotten a pick since Wall was injured and had just as bad a contract (of course that would have wasted last year for the Rockets).

That makes sense, I wasn't aware of the history, but in the end, that is going to go down as a bad trade for Houston, likely made worse by this trade.  With this history of bad trades, I would think people would be lining up to see what kind of bad trade Houston might take for Harden.

Philly could make sense, they can start with Simmons and that is a pretty good start.  I would think Harden and Embiid would pair well.

[#1P4P]

Due to their contracts, the market (NBA executives and media) has soured on Westbrook and Wall. The market devalued Chris Paul in similar fashion by magnifying his contract/age/weaknesses and he rebounded after one solid season. OKC turned Paul into 2 1sts and a pick swap (via Oubre/Rubio).

Westbrook and, especially, Wall are one solid season away from rebounding in value as well.

As the Jrue Holiday market proved this offseason (and the George/Westbrook/Davis trades before it), contending teams are willing to trade future 1sts and pick swaps for good players (except Jrue has never been an All-NBA player).

Whether it’s this season or next, if Wall plays in 80-90% of Rockets games and averages 18/4/8 with slightly above career average efficiency, the tenor of him as a player will change. And if the Nuggets/Mavericks/Jazz/Clippers are ousted earlier than expected (their internal expectations, not yours), they will consider moving their assets for Westbrook/Wall.