When John Wallsigned a five-year, $80 million contract extension with the Wizards back in the summer of 2013, Washington was actually criticized for committing so much money to him. He hadn't yet proven that he could stay healthy and lead the Wiz to postseason success, so many wondered why the team decided to give so much money to him.
Fast forward to today and Wall's deal is an absolute steal. He's turned into the kind of player the Wizards wanted him to become and, when you look at some of the deals that NBA free agentshave signed this summer, the Wizards are going to pay Wall the same amount of money as the Pistonsare going to pay a guy like Reggie Jackson next season. It's actually kind of crazy—and it doesn't exactly sit well with Wall.
"Man, everybody talking about me getting $80 million and you got people getting $85 and $90 million that ain't been an all-star or anything like that," he told the Washington Post while attending a Wizards' summer league game in Las Vegas yesterday. "I guess they came in at the right time. The new [TV money] kicked in at the right time. That new [TV money] kicked in, and they're good now. Like, Reggie Jackson gets five years, 80. Like, I'm getting the same amount as Reggie Jackson right now."
Wall went on to say that he's "happy for those guys" who got paid this summer. It just sounds like he wouldn't mind getting a bump in pay at some time in the very near future so he's not making the same amount of money as them.
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[via Washington Post]
