Being named a part of the All-NBA Third Team following a successful 2016-17 run with the Washington Wizards made John Wall eligible for the Designated Player Exception under the new collective bargaining agreement - and quite the payday.
So why is it taking him so long to sign on the dotted line and commit to the Wizards when there's so much money on the table?
"I'm just chillin'. Just trying to figure out to negotiate it and manipulate it the way you want it to be," Wall said Monday at the Wizards' summer-league game, according to The Washington Post's Candace Buckner. "Everybody know where I want to play and where I want to be. Everybody took it the wrong way (when it was reported) I wanted to wait. It's a big decision. I love D.C.
"Everything I do, I do it for the city of D.C., I do so much in the community. If it wasn't for the love of that, I wouldn't do it."
The 26-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract that will take him through 2018-19, at which time a potential four-year extension would kick in, paying him roughly $170 million during that span.
If Wall inks the super-max, it would seem to indicate he's confident the Wizards can challenge for an NBA championship, as he'd play in the nation's capital through his prime. He was outspoken in the past about his desire to compete alongside fellow All-Star Paul George to help expedite that process, but that's no longer in the cards (for now) after George was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Washington ended this past season with a 49-33 record, eventually falling in the second round of the playoffs in seven games to the Boston Celtics. Since selecting Wall first overall in 2010, the Wizards have qualified for the postseason on three occasions, only to be eliminated in the conference semifinals each time.