John Wall isn’t expected to suit up for the Wizards this season, but that that doesn’t mean he won’t cost the team a hefty chunk of change.
The Wizards were granted an $8.6-million disabled player exception last season after he had season-ending surgery to repair bone spurs in his left heel, but The Athletic reports they were denied the same exemption this season ($9.2 million) while Wall recovers from a torn Achilles he suffered in his home in February.
A five-time All-Star with career averages of 19 points and 9.2 assists per game, Wall turned 29 in September. If he misses the entire season rehabbing his injury (which is expected), he’ll be 30 when he returns to the court.
He signed a max extension with Washington in 2017 that runs through the 2022-23 season and carries a monstrous $207 million price tag. He said this summer he aims to prove he earned and deserved that contract when he gets back on the floor.
“I deserved that contract,” Wall told The Athletic. “My whole mindset is — it’s in my notes — I didn’t deserve it? When I come back, I’m going to show them I earned it. I never want a handout. I always worked for mine … I’m going to prove myself.”