John Wall calls Kyrie Irving’s trade demand ‘crazy’
By Dave Daniels
John Wall would never leave a team that went to three straight NBA Finals like Kyrie Irving wants to.
John Wall recently signed a max deal with the Washington Wizards, and that means he’ll be around until the end of the 2022-2023 season. That is in stark contrast to Kyrie Irving’s current situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving demanded a trade from Cleveland recently, and that doesn’t make sense to Wall.
“That was crazy to me. I didn’t know that was happening at all,” Wall said to CSN MidAtlantic. “It’s kinda tough. If I had been to three straight [NBA] Finals, I’d want to stay but you never know what type of relationship or what type of details they have going on the backside. Nobody knows what’s going on behind closed doors. He’s one of those guys who wants to be the main guy.”
Something tells me Wall would have no issues playing next to LeBron James. Irving has put the Cavaliers in a bad spot. He asked for a trade, but then he has also offered no lengthy commitment to any of the teams seeking him in a deal.
Wall is clearly Washington’s best player. The point guard had a phenomenal season that ended in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. The Wizards would’ve been a much tougher matchup against the Cavaliers in the next round, and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see that series play out. Wall has some impressive goals for his career. The fans in Washington should be happy they have a star like him.
“I’m not going to stop until I get my jersey retired here and a banner here for a championship,” Wall said. “We definitely have a lot of unfinished business. I want to bring a championship here, so we’re going to keep striving to get that. I’m not going to stop until we get there. That’s why I wanted to come back to this city.”
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Wall has had some playoff success. The Wizards have been to the Eastern Conference semis three times since Wall got drafted, but they are still seeking championship glory. Don’t expect Wall to have pity for Irving next season, though. Kyrie asked for this. While he is averaging 28 points per game for the lottery-bound Phoenix Suns or New York Knicks, Wall will be preparing for a deep playoff run.