"Even if it is the Udonis Haslem role" - 5x All-Star John Wall voices desperation, pleads for one last shot in the NBA
John Wall wants to return to the NBA next season and is willing to accept any role off the bench. Wall last played for the LA Clippers during the 2022-23 NBA season and went unsigned as a free agent for the entire 2023-24. He has only played 74 games since getting traded by the Washington Wizards on Dec. 2, 2020.
In an appearance on "Podcast P with Paul George," Wall shared his desire to make it back to the league as a voice of the locker room. He's open to being the veteran leader for a young team looking to have a "Udonis Haslem" on their roster.
"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," Wall said.
He added:
"If it's playing, not playing, being in the Udonis Halsem role. Anything like that. I just wanna be in an NBA jersey again because I know how much the game means to me, how much I still have left. If it's helping the team playing, if it's helping the team trying to be a coach or be a mentor, I'm willing to accept that. You know how much I love the game."
John Wall was a five-time All-Star and one of the best point guards in the league before suffering a bunch of injuries. Wall signed a four-year, $170 million extension prior to the 2017-18 season. That's where all the injuries began, missing 41 games during the campaign due to issues to both of his knees.
Wall missed more games in the 2018-19 season, the majority of it was because of a left heel injury. He was recovering from the heel injury when he suffered an infection and subsequently tore his Achilles tendon after slipping at home. He would miss the entire 2019-20 before the Washington Wizards traded him to the Houston Rockets.
John Wall played the last two years of his career in Houston and Los Angeles
John Wall made his return from injury as a member of the Houston Rockets during the 2020-21 NBA season. Wall played just 40 games during the campaign after suffering a hamstring strain late in the regular season. The Rockets then decided to sit him out the entire 2021-22 and let young players such as Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green develop.
After the Rockets bought out his contract and released him, the LA Clippers signed him as a free agent in the summer of 2022. He played just 34 games for the Clippers before he got traded back to Houston and was waived three days later. He has not played in the NBA or overseas since then.