The Washington Wizards acquired former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook from the Houston Rockets, in exchange for John Wall and a future lottery-protected first-round pick, Washington announced shortly after news broke Wednesday evening.
"Having the opportunity to acquire a player of Russell's caliber and character was something that we could not pass up when looking at both the immediate and long-term future of our team," said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard. "With that said, the decision to part ways with John, one of the greatest players in franchise history, was extremely difficult. What he has meant to our organization and our community is immeasurable and will not be forgotten."
A deal of this magnitude couldn't have been pushed through without the approval of Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, who took to Twitter to thank John Wall, his first draft pick since taking over as majority owner of the Wizards in June 2010 after longtime owner Abe Pollin's death. The Wizards selected Wall first overall out of Kentucky in 2010.
"I am very grateful to [John Wall] and his family for all they have done for our franchise and our community," Leonsis said on Twitter. "John was the first player picked in the NBA draft and the first player we were blessed to pick under our new ownership of the [Washington Wizards] a decade ago."
The deal reportedly includes protections for the draft pick for several years, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
