John Wall: NBA comeback “Would mean I want to leave the court my way” | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

John Wall continues to pursue a return to the NBA and expressed his intention to voluntarily retire from the sport.

“It would mean the world,” Wall said, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “You want to go out on your own terms. I want to end it the way I want. When I play my last game, I want to leave the field in my own way.”

The five-time All-Star point guard last appeared with the club in January 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

He was sent from the Clippers to the Houston Rockets as part of a trade in February 2023, but never suited up with the Rockets and was ultimately released by the organization shortly after the deal was completed.

During Wall’s final season in Los Angeles, he averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 assists and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from three-point territory.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft was at his best during his time with the Washington Wizards, showcasing his athletic finishing skills around the rim as well as his impressive game instincts.

From the start of the 2013-14 season through the end of his 2017-18 season, Wall averaged 19.9 points and 9.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on a shooting distribution of 43.6/34.0/78.7.

His career was derailed by lower body injuries. He underwent season-ending heel surgery in December 2018 before missing the following year after tearing his Achilles tendon in a fall at home.

While Wall averaged 20.6 points per game upon his return in the 2020-21 season, he only posted an effective field goal percentage of 45.8 and saw a noticeable decline in his defense.

At 34, the point guard wouldn’t be the oldest player in the league if he were able to return, but he might have a hard time finding an interested suitor after being out of contract for the entire 2023-24 season.

Perhaps a contending team could show interest in Wall on a short-term deal after the Feb. 6 trade deadline.