Grantland's Zach Lowe, one of the very best hoops writers the Internet has to offer, published a complete transcript of a one-on-one interview he did with John Wall prior to Friday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. In the interview, Wall said that he thinks he is good enough to merit a max contract.
Have you started thinking about your contract extension talks yet?
I haven't started thinking about that.
Really? The deadline isn't that far away.
That's true. Look, I'm just enjoying D.C. This hasn't been going the way we wanted it to, in terms of winning, but I think we are building something here.
Do you feel like you deserve a max contract? That you're a max guy?
I feel like I am. I do, definitely.
Now, I wouldn't read too much into this. Lowe asked Wall the question straight-up, and Wall isn't going to say he doesn't deserve a max contract. But as Lowe notes earlier, the deadline for an early extension is approaching (the end of October, to be specific), and the five-year max is a tough sell at this point.
There's a lot more to the interview, particularly on the technical side with Wall's defense and perimeter shot. The whole thing is absolutely worth a read.