After patiently waiting for two years, the Washington Wizards decided to give up on John Wall recently. They tried to trade him to the Rockets to get back Russell Westbrook in return. But the deal was never finalized. When he learned about this, Wall reportedly asked for a trade, but GM Tommy Sheppard quashed those rumors.

The Wizards are in a mess now. With the season starting in less than a month, they need to quickly figure out how to clear things up. An unnamed former NBA coach spoke to SB Nation and talked about how the Wizards should handle the situation.

He said that Wall should have a meeting with GM Sheppard, owner Ted Leonsis, and head coach Scott Brooks. “If you want to go, you have to show the league you’re John Wall again,” is what they should tell the disgruntled star. The former coach said that only if Wall can prove himself on the court, will the front office be ready to accept his request to leave.

Can the Washington Wizards avoid further drama in this saga?

The former coach identified Brooks’ role as someone who should be on Wall’s side, and Brooks should therefore not get entangled in this matter. “The coach should be a spectator [in the meeting],” said the former coach. “He needs to be able to walk out of the cabin on Wall’s side and say, ‘let’s show them what you can do.’”

Finally, the coach told SB Nation that the rest of the team doesn’t have to be briefed about these updates. He said, “What’s important is being able to work with Wall. With the other guys, you do what you would normally do.”

ALSO READ – John Wall Refuses to Put Any Weight on Rumors of Him Requesting Trade from the Washington Wizards

Top Stories

Did Lakers Sign Chris Paul to a Season-Long Deal? Fact-Checking Viral Claim

Why Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Not Playing Tonight vs Jazz? Latest Injury Update on Thunder Star and Expected Return

Is Jonathan Kuminga Injured? Warriors Star Remains on Bench vs Bulls

Sophie Cunningham’s Sharp Response Divides WNBA Fans Amid Caitlin Clark’s Project B Decision

Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers Player Stats, Box Score and Game Recap (Dec 7) – 2025–26 NBA Season

The Wizards are already coming off an unimpressive Free Agency. They signed Raul Neto, two undrafted free agents, and re-signed Garrison Matthews. So keeping Wall, for now, is a wise move. And if he really wants to leave,  getting the best value out of him is a must for them.

It will be tough, but if they cannot get equal value out of a trade, it will set the Wizards back a couple of years again, and they will have to restart a rebuild.