Rockets and Wizards shock NBA with Russell Westbrook-John Wall swap

The rumored trade between the Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards was laughed at when initially reported. Now, it’s officially a done deal.

Remember weeks ago when star point guard Russell Westbrook reportedly demanded a trade from the Houston Rockets? And there were rumors that Westbrook could be flipped to the Washington Wizards in exchange for fellow star point-man John Wall. Everyone laughed and scoffed at this proposal. Now, it’s become a reality.

According to a “Woj Bomb” from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets have agreed to trade Westbrook to the Wizards in exchange for Wall and a future first-round draft pick. Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms that the Rocket will be sending their protected 2023 first rounder to Washington (details are in the tweet below).

Move made just days before the start of the preseason

The timing of this trade could not be more convenient, since the NBA is less than a week away from kicking off the preseason, as the regular-season tips off on Dec. 22.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Westbrook was reportedly not fond of the direction the team was heading in after head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey stepped down from their positions. Those two were subsequently replaced by Stephen Silas and Rafael Stone, respectively.  Additionally, Charania revealed that Westbrook told Houston officials he wants to go to a team that will allow him to take on the role of floor-general, just like he did back in his Oklahoma City Thunder days.

In his lone season with the Rockets, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists, while shooting 47.2-percent from the field. He was named to the All-Star game and the All-NBA Third Team.

There has been buzz about Wall demanding a trade once this move to Houston was rumored weeks ago, but it was dispelled by general manager Tommy Sheppard. Wall has had his fair share of injury issues, most recently a torn Achilles tendon that knocked him out for the past year-and-a-half. But when he’s on the court, he’s one of the better point guards in the game. But it’s unknown how he’ll perform after nearly two years on the sidelines.

In this trade of supermax players, it will remain to be seen who will be declared the winners of the transaction down the line. For now, all we can do is process this explosive trade and wait for the results.