Washington Wizards point guard John Wall believes he should be paid as much as the top players in the NBA. This includes James Harden, who brought home a large contract extension this summer.
In July, the Houston Rockets locked down their All-Star guard with a four-year deal worth $118 million.
Apparently, Wall wasn’t happy for his fellow NBA star.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, “A front-office executive tells The Ringer that Wall was ‘rankled’ after Harden signed a four-year, $118 million extension with the Rockets.”
Wall signed a five-year extension worth $80 million in 2013.
As good as he has been over the past few years—being named to three All-Star Games and averaging 19.9 points and 10.2 assists per game last season—the timing of his extension was perfect for Washington.
In the summer of 2013, the point guard had shown potential but was coming off an injury-shortened year, playing only 49 games. He was still yet to make an All-Star team and had failed to lead the Wizards to the playoffs in his first three years in the league.
Perhaps more importantly, the salary cap was much lower than this past summer, when the contracts around the league became inflated.
On the other hand, Harden averaged 29.0 points, 7.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game while making his fourth consecutive All-Star Game last year. He finished second in MVP voting two years ago and has proved himself as one of the best offensive players in the league, all of which coincided with the expanded salary cap.
If Wall is going to be angry at any contract, it should be over that of fellow Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who will make $128 million over the next five years. After Beal signed his deal, Wall didn’t seem all that supportive of his teammate, per J. Michael of CSN Atlantic:
Now that you have your money you got to go out there and improve your game. I want you to be an All-Star just as much as I’m an All-Star. If we were playing well as a tandem like the other two superstars that play together as a backcourt, play as a tandem, one night it’s going to be his night, one night it’s going to be mine, some nights it might be both of us. Those are nights it’s going to be tough to beat us.
Interestingly, Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post notes the two extensions were similar at their respective times:
Still, it might be a long few years before Wall can become a free agent in 2019.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
