The Houston Rockets have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to Washington Wizards for John Wall and a lottery-protected 2023 first-round NBA draft pick, in a blockbuster deal, Athletics’ NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news first.
According to Charania, The 2023 first-round pick is lottery protected for the Wizards. If it doesn’t convey in that year, it has a succession of protections that include picks Nos. 1-12 in 2024, picks 1-10 in 2025 and picks 1-8 in 2026, sources said. If it hasn’t conveyed as a first-round pick to Houston by 2026, it becomes a second-round pick in each of 2026 and 2027.
Westbrook and Wizards coach Scott Brooks have a long history, spending seven years as player and coach together in Oklahoma City.
Westbrook’s partnership with Harden in Houston lasted only one season after the recent MVPs played leading roles in orchestrating a 2019 summer trade that sent Chris Paul to Oklahoma City along with two first-round picks and two first-round swap rights in exchange for Westbrook.
Westbrook, 32, has $133 million over three seasons remaining on his contract, with a player option for the final year. He has been an All-Star in nine of the past 10 seasons and joined Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for a season, doing so his last three campaigns for the Thunder.
Wall, 30, hasn’t played since Dec. 26, 2018, missing two seasons with injuries to his Achilles tendon and knee. He’s still owed three years and $132 million on his contract.
