When a player signs a maximum contract in the NBA, everything changes in that moment, as he is automatically recognized as the face of a franchise. The responsibilities grow on and off the court, and whatever he does – big or small – is suddenly put under a microscope. That’s what Washington Wizards point guard John Wall can expect after signing a maximum contract worth $80 million over five years on Thursday, and he appears to expect nothing less. On Friday, Wall
The month of July is typically an awkward one for NBA fans. We’re fresh off the NBA Finals and the NBA Draft, but suddenly realizing that there won’t be any legitimate competition played for the next three months. Of course, as with any NBA summer vacation, there are plenty of things happening with player movement and free agency, but also incidents of the more peculiar variety. Deals are made, teams are transformed, and players find themselves with a bit too much free time
After much speculation over the past week or so, Washington Wizards point guard John Wall officially became the $80 Million Dollar Man on Wednesday. After going through a roller coaster third year, the debate on Wall and what kind of a contract he deserved was a hot topic for much of the past season. He sat out the first 33 games after suffering a leg injury in the offseason, then started off slowly in the first couple of months, averaging under
It’s a simple, yet complex decision for the Washington Wizards. John Wall is the team’s unquestioned franchise player. It would be incredibly difficult to replace him and build around someone else. From that standpoint, it makes sense that Washington is locking him up for five years and the maximum $80 million it can give the former top overall pick. The problem? Wall is nowhere near as good as other point guards given max contracts in recent years. He has to sound confident when he
With little-to-no big name free-agents left on the board, the NBA has shifted into the dog days of summer. These next two months are when the superstar players take their time out of the limelight, relax, and hopefully improve their games for next season. Not a lot of action for the superstar players (unless you’re playing in the Drew League in L.A. or trying out for Team USA in Vegas) means a chance for the undrafted or unsigned players to put
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During the recruitment of Dwight Howard, you often heard the name Chandler Parsons attached to the Houston Rockets anytime there was news about making efforts to convince the center to join them. Most of us took the news that Parsons had been talking to Howard everyday with a grain of salt with the mindset of “as if he can really make a true difference.” But as it turns out, the forward played an enormous part in helping Howard make his decision.
When the three-team trade that sent Eric Bledsoe to the Phoenix Suns occurred on Tuesday, it gave the backup point guard a chance to become his own man on a new team rather than a distant shadow behind the greatness of Chris Paul. While his game is still enigmatic – there’s no telling of what he is fully capable of in a larger role – he possesses a motor and athleticism that only a handful of point guards in the league