Heat Interested In John Wall If He Takes Buyout From Rockets

[RealGM Wiretap]

In the unlikely event John Wall takes a buyout from the Houston Rockets, he might not have to wait long to find a new home. The Miami Heat have interest in the veteran point guard, should he become available.

It's been previously reported that Wall has no intention of giving up any of his remaining salary in a buyout from Houston. Wall's contract for this is worth $44.3 million. Wall also has a player option for $47.4 million for the 2022-23 season.

Miami's interest is notable, as it's been hard to find a fit for Wall on the point guard market. The Heat are locked in with Kyle Lowry as their starter, but their depth behind the veteran star is shaky. Tyler Herro is more comfortable in a scoring role vs a playmaking one. Gabe Vincent is the other traditional point guard on the roster, but he's a inexperienced younger player.

Via Barry Jackson/Miami Herald

[cupcakesnake]

Barry Jackson really needs to tell us that John Wall has the option of becoming a minimum salary backup for a contender if he's just willing to give up almost 100 million.

"Miami's interest is notable, as it's been hard to find a fit for Wall on the point guard market. The Heat are locked in with Kyle Lowry as their starter, but their depth behind the veteran star is shaky."

It is not hard to find a fit, if the definition of fit is: backup point guard. Most of the teams in the league would happily make that move.

[kalel123]

No s**t.

Easy money for this reporter who got nothing intelligent to report stating the obvious.

[NoStatsGuy]

Barry Jackson really needs to tell us that John Wall has the option of becoming a minimum salary backup for a contender if he's just willing to give up almost 100 million.

"Miami's interest is notable, as it's been hard to find a fit for Wall on the point guard market. The Heat are locked in with Kyle Lowry as their starter, but their depth behind the veteran star is shaky."

It is not hard to find a fit, if the definition of fit is: backup point guard. Most of the teams in the league would happily make that move.

yea man, thats what i thought. its a ludacris thing to expect. no matter your legacy, if you get a ring or not, what other people think about your career when you left the sport 20 years down the line.

what is more important? 100 freaking million dollars to set up multiple generations of success for your family or having someone like skip talking bad about you. i understand when somenoe says, you know, legacy is important and getting a ring is the ultimate dream. but getting 100 million and you, your kids and your grandkids being rich forever isnt far off that dream.

i would never pass up that kind of money... for no ring, for no legacy, for nothing.

[druggas]

Isn't it tampering to comment on another team's player?

[Cassius]

Guys, a buyout means he gives back a portion, not the whole thing. Like, he could offer to take $90M of the $100M if Houston gives him that option.

I'm not saying he should, just saying it's not a voiding of the entire remainder of the deal.

[cupcakesnake]

Guys, a buyout means he gives back a portion, not the whole thing. Like, he could offer to take $90M of the $100M if Houston gives him that option.

I'm not saying he should, just saying it's not a voiding of the entire remainder of the deal.

The biggest buyout ever have been around 20 million (Blake gave back 13.3m of his 75m deal, meaning the Pistons ate 60m). Larry Sanders left 21m on the table when he retired.

The Blake deal is the precedent. But expecting the Rockets to eat 80m would be a huge deal, especially because they have no real reason to do. Until I hear a rumour that Wall is willing to give up something in the ballpark of 30m, I don't think there's anything here. This changes dramatically next season when they can negotiate on a single 50m year. Right now 91.7m is just too big a number in the absesnse of Houston or Wall being desperate for a move (it sounds like neither are).

[CobraCommander]

No s**t.

Easy money for this reporter who got nothing intelligent to report stating the obvious.

All teams are interested in wall if the rockets pay him....

[kenwood3333]

Ben Simmons has a lot to learn from Wall on how to sit at home, collect paycheck without getting fined.

[alienpick]

Barry Jackson really needs to tell us that John Wall has the option of becoming a minimum salary backup for a contender if he's just willing to give up almost 100 million.

"Miami's interest is notable, as it's been hard to find a fit for Wall on the point guard market. The Heat are locked in with Kyle Lowry as their starter, but their depth behind the veteran star is shaky."

It is not hard to find a fit, if the definition of fit is: backup point guard. Most of the teams in the league would happily make that move.

yea man, thats what i thought. its a ludacris thing to expect. no matter your legacy, if you get a ring or not, what other people think about your career when you left the sport 20 years down the line.

what is more important? 100 freaking million dollars to set up multiple generations of success for your family or having someone like skip talking bad about you. i understand when somenoe says, you know, legacy is important and getting a ring is the ultimate dream. but getting 100 million and you, your kids and your grandkids being rich forever isnt far off that dream.

i would never pass up that kind of money... for no ring, for no legacy, for nothing.

Hi Carmelo! I didn't know you were on RealGM!

j/k, Carmelo fan here.. and you are totally correct.

[alienpick]

The Heat are interested in a $40+ million per year former AllStar for pennies? *surprised Pikachu face*

[mulamutti]

The Heat are interested in a $40+ million per year former AllStar for pennies? *surprised Pikachu face*

I'm sick and tired of these buyouts + jump to contender combos. I think even if they're bought out, the team that signs them should get the full salary cap hit (even if they don't pay the salary). Nba needs to do something as I'm sick of bandwagon jumping "stars" that force their way into contenders.

[Hold That]

I wouldn’t take a buyout if the future was vet minimum for the rest of my career afterwards.

[ChuckChilly]

No way Wall takes a buyout. He probably wont see the court until 2023.

[moocow007]

Barry Jackson really needs to tell us that John Wall has the option of becoming a minimum salary backup for a contender if he's just willing to give up almost 100 million.

"Miami's interest is notable, as it's been hard to find a fit for Wall on the point guard market. The Heat are locked in with Kyle Lowry as their starter, but their depth behind the veteran star is shaky."

It is not hard to find a fit, if the definition of fit is: backup point guard. Most of the teams in the league would happily make that move.

Considering how Kemba Walker as looked (i.e. like a $8 million player the Knicks owe him, not the huge bargain star player they hoped), he might have at least one team in the NBA that would be willing to give him a look at the starting PG spot.

[Pickled Prunes]

The Heat are interested in a $40+ million per year former AllStar for pennies? *surprised Pikachu face*

I'm sick and tired of these buyouts + jump to contender combos. I think even if they're bought out, the team that signs them should get the full salary cap hit (even if they don't pay the salary). Nba needs to do something as I'm sick of bandwagon jumping "stars" that force their way into contenders.

I like that solution... but that would mean that not even OKC could sign him. He would put any team deep into the tax.

I think you just eliminate buyout's altogether. Rather, you allow players/teams to renegotiate their current contract and you allow teams to eat part of a contract in a trade.

Step 1) Wall agrees to eat $12M to facilitate a trade. Now he's on a flat 2/80 contract.
Step 2) HOU agrees to eat $40M to facilitate a trade.This would require the NBA to allow HOU to trade him on a 2/$40M contract. This would leave HOU with a 2/$40M "dead money" contract which they could swallow whole or stretch over 5 years.

Obviously, HOU and Wall could eat as much or little as they could stomach to make this happen. But it would allow a player like Wall to move on and a team like HOU to get something back. It would also prevent the stacking of buyout players on front runners. At 2/$40 I'm guessing several teams give Wall a look.

[WRau1]

No way in hell he agrees to a buyout with 2 yrs and almost $100mil left on that deal, not unless HOU eats a absolute historic amount of it. HOU can just hang on to him until next season's deadline and trade him to a rebuilding club, you can clear damn near half your cap just with his expiring deal.

[fuller4379]

Can we relegate Houston to the G-League?

[Dennis 37]

Isn't that tampering?

[Billl]

Isn't that tampering?

No, it's just a reporter making sht up. Nobody in the organization has actually said anything like this. If the GM was saying this publicly, then that would be tampering.