Washington Wizards: John Wall is in for the long haul

John Wall has signed his long-term extension with the Washington Wizards, but will he regret his decision to sign it this quickly?

Washington Wizards fans around the world can exhale as four-time All-Star John Wall has signed his designated player extension that will keep him in D.C. for at least three years after his current contract is up.

It makes sense financially, but does it make sense for Wall’s career?

John Wall signed a contract extension that will keep him in Washington D.C. until the 2022-23 season. The contract is a four-year agreement with a player option on the fourth year.

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There was much speculation as to whether or not Wall would actually sign the extension. He had recently stated that he would like to see how management operates before signing, leading many to believe that perhaps he’d hold off until another season.

Wall became eligible for such an extension because he made the All-NBA list. All-NBA is comprised of 15 players and are put in tiers of five – Wall was third-team.

While this move makes nothing but sense for Washington moving forward, one has to wonder why Wall was so quick to extend his career in Chocolate City.

Why he shouldn’t have signed so quick

From a basketball perspective, this team as of right now seems built for Conference Finals purgatory at best. LeBron James still runs the East and the Boston Celtics added a max-level player to their already talented roster. The thing the Wizards have going for them is that their core is still young haven’t even reached their primes yet.

Ernie Grunfeld has been able to make decent trades for veteran presences, (Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor, Nene, Marcin Gortat) but hasn’t been able to land that third star to compliment Wall and Bradley Beal. Wall recently made a pitch for the team to acquire fellow All-Star Paul George before he was eventually dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One of Washington’s biggest weaknesses has been bench production. This summer, after the moves they’ve made, it looks like the issue will be no different come this season.

In this league, in order to win, a team must have a consistent bench unit and a third star. As of now, Washington has neither. Why sign so early when he can wait off in order to put more pressure on the organization to get aggressive with moves?

Why this was the right move

This is clearly more than just basketball for John Wall. He is active in the DMV community, (though he is with many communities) appreciates the people, and the one of a kind feeling Washington D.C. brings to the table.

As stated above, the core of this team (Wall, Beal, Otto Porter) still hasn’t reached their prime yet. With the Cavaliers becoming older and the Celtics simply not all the way there yet, Washington may be able to slide right in and make some noise.

Grunfeld made the right move with bringing in Scott Brooks. This is a coach that has and will focus development.

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John Wall is a perfect fit for the franchise and the beautiful city of Washington D.C. While there are still questions regarding the team’s future, it’s safe to say Wall will be the franchise player for years to come. Let’s just Grunfeld can build a team around him to compete for NBA Championships.

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