The big question arising out of Washington these days is whether star point guard John Wall has done enough to have earned a max contract.
Several sources with knowledge of the situation told CSN Washington’s J. Michael that he will likely be offered a max contract by Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld after July 1st.
“If they believe I’m their franchise guy, that I’m the max player that I feel that I am, they’ll do what’s best for them,” Wall said. “I feel like they believe in me. My coaches and my organization believe in me. The owner (Ted Leonsis) and GM believe in me. … They like what I’ve been doing lately.”
Some might question the wisdom of giving Wall such a deal as his numbers are not quite on par with Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson who is of similar age and was signed to a four-year, $48 million deal last summer.
Wall, a former No. 1 overall draft choice who missed the first 33 games of the season with a knee injury, is averaging 15.6 points, 7.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.
The Wizards have a history of allowing young players to leave before they help other teams become successful. One agent believes that could be included by Wall’s camp in negotiations with the franchise.
“An organization’s history is leverage,” one NBA agent told CSN Washington. “In negotiations, you use that. Definitely. And this kid has kept his nose clean on top of that.”