John Wall reveals what hurt the most in the missile trade
John Wall he spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career with the Washington Wizards. But 2020 was traded to the Houston Rockets in the Russell Westbrook deal.
Now, Wall looks back about his trade to the Rockets. What hurt the most was how much he wanted to play and win with the Wizards, via Pivot.
“I’m damned,” Wall said. “This is the city where I want to play for a team, to win a championship here… D.C. is everything I’ve known since I was a kid, to grow up here.”
“I’m goddamn… this is the city where I want to play for a team, win a championship here… D.C. is all I’ve known since I was a kid, to grow up here”
John Wall talks about how he felt after being traded to the Washington Wizards 💔
(via @thepivot)
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 25, 2025
Wall spent just one season with the Rockets, appearing in 40 games. He would then sit out the 2021-2022 season before playing his final year with the Los Angeles Clippers. But when fans and pundits reflect on Wall’s NBA career, he has become synonymous with the Wizards.
The guard was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. It didn’t take long to make an impact, as Wall finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. During his nine years with the Wizards, Wall was named a five-time All-Star, named to the All-Defensive Team in 2014-2015 and All-NBA in 2016-2017. During his stay in Washington, he averaged 19 points, 9.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
The Wizards made the Eastern Conference semifinals three times during Wall’s tenure. But they never progressed further, and his trade took away any chance Wall had of trying to lead the Wizards to a championship. He will always be grateful for his time in Washington. But there will always be a part of the wall that wonders what if?
2025-12-25 16:27:00
