As we wait for word on the negotiations between the Washington Wizards and restricted free agents Otto Porter Jr. and Bojan Bogdanovic, the team’s front office is still working before the start of the new season on July 1. Washington has reportedly offered franchise point guard a four-year contract extension for roughly $170 million according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and confirmed by others. This is of course a major raise from his current five-year, $84.8 million contract.
Wall is eligible for such a contract because he was named to an All-NBA team, which qualifies him for the designated player veteran extension, a new feature in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“I know all about those,” Wall said on May 16, a day after his season ended, when asked if he was aware of the provision. “I haven’t talked to my agents and stuff like that. I don’t know if I have to talk about an extension and all that because so much more you can get later down the road and what’s at stake. I just sit back with my family, my team and see what we want to talk about and see if there’s anything to discuss this summer or just wait.”
Windhorst is also reporting that Wall is NOT basing his decision on what the Wizards do or do not do in free agency this offseason.
Instead, Wall may choose to bet on himself, as he has done so successfully in the past with his double knee surgery, in order to cash in even more next summer. Should Wall make another All-NBA team next season, he would be eligible for a ‘supermax’ extension valued at approximately $217 million, depending on what 35 percent of the salary cap is, over five years. Of course, if Wall does not make an All-NBA team next season, his potential contract extension next summer would be merely four years, $103 million.
But with the assumption that Wall remains a Top 15 player next season, it makes sense that Washington would offer him now with the hopes of him signing to friendlier team terms in the present.
Last week, the day before the NBA draft, team president Ernie Grunfeld weighed in on the possibility of extending Wall.
“At the appropriate time, we will sit down with John,” Grunfeld said. “We want John to finish his career here. He's a franchise guy and him and Bradley [Beal] have done a great job at improving and leading this ball club so we want John to finish his career here.”
To say Wall is beloved in the Nation's Capital is an understatement and should he decide to accept the current offer put in front of him, he will be under contract in Washington until 2022-23.