Winners and losers of the Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade

In what was arguably the most high-profile trade of the offseason, Houston Rockets parted ways with Russell Westbrook for John Wall and a first-round pick on Wednesday night. On the face of it, there are a lot of things that don't make sense in this deal. But that didn't stop the Rockets and Washington Wizards from exchanging players on bad supermax deals.

Did anyone win in the Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade?

Now that this trade is already official, there's no point arguing over the why factor; looking at what this means for both franchises and the domino effect of the same is more important. So did the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards make the right call by agreeing to a Russell Westbrook-John Wall swap? Is either team getting enough value in return?

On that note, let us look at the winners and losers of the Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade.

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#1 Winner: Washington Wizards

Bradley Beal

The biggest question for the Washington Wizards entering this season was whether John Wall will be good enough after his Achilles injury. That would invariably impact the franchise's ability to push for the playoffs and eventually play a role in determining Bradley Beal's future.

Now that they have acquired Russell Westbrook from the Houston Rockets, the Wizards can rest assured about a postseason berth. Sure, Westbrook isn't in his prime anymore. Yet, he's good enough to lead Washington to one of the playoff seeds. This would keep Beal satisfied which is absolutely crucial if GM Tommy Sheppard wants him to commit his future to DC beyond 2022.

#2 Loser: Houston Rockets

James Harden

The Houston Rockets have taken a really huge gamble with this trade. John Wall could turn out to be a much better fit besides James Harden but Russell Westbrook is arguably the better player. They still have a bad supermax contract on their hands and there really isn't any guarantee that Wall's fitness issues are behind him. On top of that, the first-rounder they received in the process is heavily protected.

Sources: Protection on the first-round pick that the Wizards traded to Houston in Russell Westbrook/John Wall trade: 2023, Lottery; 2024, Top 12; 2025, Top 10; 2026, Top 8; then becomes two second-rounders.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 3, 2020

The 2020-21 season, in all likelihood, will be James Harden's final one with the Houston Rockets if they don't manage to win big. And with John Wall as the second-best player on their roster, things don't seem too bright for the Rockets.

#3 Winner: Russell Westbrook

Westbrook will get to lead a team again

Russell Westbrook will arguably be the most elated stakeholder of this trade. He gets to reunite with Scott Brooks who'll put the ball in his hands. He'll have able floor spacers in Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans surrounding him. He'll also have a useful pick-and-roll cog in Thomas Bryant.

Scott Brooks and Russell Westbrook reunited in DC. Brooks has always just adored Westbrook. The two remain super close.

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 3, 2020

Sure, he won't win a championship with the Wizards, but Russell Westbrook will be back in the primary ball-handler's role, which he had to give up while playing in Houston. He'll control the tempo of the offense, share the court with several able players, and rack up a ton of assists. His production will likely be more than what John Wall would've managed upon his return.

#4 Loser: Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks splashed a lot of money in the free agency market in order to build a team good enough to make the playoffs. The likes of Rajon Rondo, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Danilo Gallinari are all nice pickups, but they can't win you the game on their own on a nightly basis. Trae Young is still the only bona fide superstar on the Hawks.

As such, their path to the playoffs has just got a bit trickier with Washington Wizards acquiring Russell Westbrook and emerging as a serious playoff contender. Considering that the Hawks have already blown their cap space, any finish lower than a playoff spot would put Trae Young's future in Atlanta in jeopardy.

#5 Winner: Bad contracts

John Wall

They may have been elite players at a time but right not, both John Wall and Russell Westbrook are considered to be damaged products. And despite both of them being owed over $130 million in salary over the next three seasons, their respective franchises managed to strike a deal.

This is a clear step towards the notion that every bad contract in the NBA can be traded. It will definitely lead to more unwarranted max and supermax extensions being handed out with front-office executives prioritizing keeping hold of the player over financial flexibility.

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