The Washington Wizards are off to a horrible 2-7 start, and the trade rumors are swirling around All-Star point guard John Wall, even though he only signed a $170 million last summer.

But according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, trading Wall is "unlikely" to happen before July 2019. That's because if Washington were to trade Wall before, they'd have to absorb a big chunk of his salary ("the trade kicker).

Therefore, the Wizards would be better off holding onto Wall until the end of the season, if they're even considering the option of trading their franchise star. Washington is already strapped for cash as is, so rushing a Wall trade and having to pay a huge portion of money doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Wall is off to an excellent start to the season, despite the team's struggles. He's averaging 21.2 points, three rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Wall signed a four-year, $170 million extension with Washington in July of 2017, and it could be hard for them to find many takers for his expensive salary.

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via AP

Of course, Wall is unlikely to get traded if the Wizards can turn it around in a timely matter. The arrival of offseason acquisition Dwight Howard should help, and Bradley Beal has been off to an excellent start as well. If these three can gel together going forward, Washington should jump back into the playoff picture - which is very manageable in a weak Eastern Conference.

Drafted with the No.1 pick by the Washington Wizards in 2010, Wall has emerged as one of the game's top superstars. He's a five-time All-Star and has guided them to the playoffs in four of the last five years.

But if Washington can't shrug off this brutal start, it might make sense to move out Wall's hefty contract and begin a rebuild. Should the Wizards turn it around soon, however, it decreases the chances of a Wall trade actually happening.

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