John Wall isn’t ready to walk away from his NBA career just yet.
The five-time All-Star said he wants to return to the NBA next season, saying he does not care if he has to take on a bench role to make it happen.
“I know how much the game means to me. How much I wanna get back to the game,” Wall told Paul George on Podcast P with paul George Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment. “I’ve been an All-Star, I’ve been a franchise player before. It’s been a tough journey trying to get back there. The most important thing for me is just trying to stay healthy.
“I know a lot of these teams have a lot of young guys on the team. They don’t have a lot of vets. I think you need those vets in the locker room. That’s what teams are missing. I’m willing to accept any role it is to be on a team. If it’s playing, not playing, being in the Udonis Halsem role. Anything like that. I just wanna be in an NBA jersey again because I know how much the game means to me, how much I still have left. If it’s helping the team playing, if it’s helping the team trying to be a coach or be a mentor, I’m willing to accept that.”
Wall went unsigned for the entire 2023-24 season. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022-23 before being traded to the Houston Rockets in February 2023. The Rockets waived Wall without him ever playing a game.
One of the NBA’s premier point guards during his prime, Wall had his career derailed by knee injuries.
He has not played more than 41 games in a season since 2016-17 and was performing at a clearly diminished state during his short stint with the Clippers. The Kentucky product averaged 11.4 points and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor. It was telling that no team even brought in Wall for a workout all of last summer.
While Wall could provide some veteran guidance, it’s hard to see quite where he fits with any team. It would likely take a team where he has pre-existing relationships and could use a veteran presence.
The Wizards, where Wall spent the first decade of his career, could be an option. Washington is coming off a dreadful 2023-24 campaign and seemingly had little veteran leadership in the locker room. The Wizards jettisoned all of the staff that has familiarity with Wall, but owner Ted Leonsis remains and could have interest in a reunion in the right circumstances.