Knicks Rumors: Does a John Wall trade make any sense?
By Adam Kester
Is John Wall an upgrade for the Knicks?
As we know, John Wall hasn’t played yet in the 2021-22 season.
In what has been a bizarre saga, Wall has been seemingly healthy yet he hasn’t seen the court. In the offseason, Wall and Rockets owner Raphael Stone had come to an agreement that they would seek a trade for him.
A quarter way through the season and that hasn’t happened yet.
We’ve seen clips of Wall practicing with some of the Rockets’ younger players, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. In those videos, Wall appears to have plenty of juice left and can match the young guns’ speed and quickness 1-on-1.
The last time we saw John Wall in NBA action was in April of 2021.
John Wall’s 2020-21 stat line:
- 20.6 points
- 6.9 assists
- 3.2 rebounds
- 40.4% FG
- 31.7% 3P FG
At this point in his career, John Wall is still a good downhill attacking point guard, albeit a flawed one.
While some of his poor efficiency numbers can be chalked up to the poor team play around him, Wall isn’t the best shooter.
Still, this is the type of point guard Tom Thibodeau loves and the type of guard that has been lacking from the Knicks’ starting rotation. A point guard with speed and length who can penetrate and get into the teeth of the defense.
Wall has always ranked near the top of the league in drives and foul rate — he ranked in the 89th percentile of guards last season in shooting foul percentage.
Wall’s speed, attacking playstyle, and court vision could be a fantastic fit alongside the Knicks starters and form a deadly duo with Derrick Rose. That’s not to mention his 6’4 frame — he’d give the Knicks a lot more size and physicality on defense than Walker.
While Wall may be a nice fit in terms of his strengths and playstyle fit, the real obstacle here is his albatross of a contract. Is it even possible for Wall to land in New York?