John Wall Denies Rumor He's in Contract Talks with Italy's Armani Milan: 'False News'
Veteran NBA guard John Wall denied rumors Wednesday night that he is in negotiations with an Italian league basketball team.
According to Basket News (h/t Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated FanNation), Wall was in contract talks with Armani Milan of the Italian LBA, but Wall shot down the notion, calling it "false news."
The 32-year-old Wall is currently a free agent after being waived by the Houston Rockets in February.
Wall entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft out of Kentucky, and he went on to spend the first nine seasons of his career with the Washington Wizards.
In Washington, Wall was a five-time All-Star, boasting averages of 19.0 points, 9.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 573 games for the Wizards.
After missing the entire 2019-20 season with an Achilles injury, Wall was traded to the Rockets in a deal for Russell Westbrook.
Wall started all 40 games he appeared in for the Rockets in 2020-21, averaging 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
With the Rockets rebuilding and going with a youth movement following the trade of James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, Wall and the organization agreed that he would not play in 2021-22, and he sat out the entire season.
Following a contract buyout, Wall signed with the Los Angeles Clippers and appeared in 34 games last season, averaging a career-low 11.4 points, 5.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds.
In February, Wall was dealt to Houston as part of a three-team trade, but he was waived before ever appearing in a game for the team.
Wall was once one of the NBA's best playmakers and most explosive players due to his speed and athleticism, but much of that has left him at this stage in his career.
Still, Wall is a savvy veteran who could potentially land a bench role with an NBA team if he waits it out rather than signing on to play in a different country.
If Wall does decide to play in Italy or elsewhere, however, he would be following a path many former NBA stars have in the past, and could still make an excellent living.
