NBA Trade Rumors: LA Clippers wanted to pair 5-time NBA All-Star with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George earlier in the season
This season for the LA Clippers has a far different bearing than the previous season had in store for another Los Angeles franchise. The Clippers wanted to build on their results from last season, but that has proved impossible.
It's been an uphill task for the Clippers without their headliner Kawhi Leonard. The small forward sustained an ACL tear in his right knee in the second half of the 2021 season. He underwent surgery to repair the tear and has since been in recovery.
His absence has seen the Clippers (23-25) drift to ninth place in the Western Conference. Paul George has had to carry the team with little or no supporting cast.
The Clippers had expressed genuine interest in John Wall earlier in the season, sources tell @KellyIkoNBA.
Houston has recently received calls from a handful of teams about Wall, although his market is somewhat blurred due to contract constraints.
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A report said the Clippers were interested in making an addition earlier in the season. According to The Athletic's Kelly Iko, the Clippers were interested in acquiring five-time All-Star John Wall to join George and Leonard.
"Houston has recently received calls from a handful of teams about potentially acquiring Wall, but due to the aforementioned contract constraints, rival teams continue to simply monitor the situation," Iko reported.
"One such team that had expressed genuine interest earlier in the season was the LA Clippers, but there is some confusion from an outsider’s perspective on the Clippers’ objectives heading into the deadline."
What the addition of John Wall to the LA Clippers could have been
John Wall has yet to play for the Houston Rockets this season. The five-time All-Star joined the Rockets in 2020 from the Washington Wizards.
He was selected by the Wizards in the 2010 draft as the first overall pick and played for the franchise for nine seasons before joining the Rockets. In his time with the Wizards, he led them to four playoffs, going the furthest in 2017, getting knocked out in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Boston Celtics.
The Clippers have shown interest in John Wall, per @KellyIkoNBA https://t.co/Uul4uIhYN4
In 613 games, "Optimus Dime" has averaged 19.1 points, with 4.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.
His addition to the LA Clippers would have given them more depth. Wall's playmaking skills would be a plus, giving coach Tyronn Lue more options.
Wall played one season for the University of Kentucky.