Getty Christian Wood #35 of the Dallas Mavericks.
December 25, 2022 is a date that Dallas Mavericks big man Christian Wood had circled on the calendar for a long time. Sure, Christmas is cool and all, but rather than a pair of Hopalong boots under the tree from Saint Nick, I’m sure Wood would rather see a fat contract extension stuffed into his stocking by Mark Cuban.
December 25 is the first day that Wood is eligible to sign a $77 million contract extension. It also happened to be the same day as Dallas’ showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers.
And while much of the attention went to Luka Doncic’s near triple-double (32 points, nine assists, nine rebounds), Wood played no small part in Dallas’ 124-115 win over the purple and gold. For his part, Wood dropped in 30 points, seven assists, and eight boards.
And after the game, Wood only dropped hints as to his future in Dallas, clearly aware that the team is officially on the clock for an extension.
“I’m happy to be here. That’s what I’ll say. The vibe is good. . . . I’m open to it,” Wood said after the game, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
But Dallas might not be the only team interested in Wood’s services.
Rival Teams Keeping Tabs on Wood
The Mavericks have been quietly better of late, currently amidst a three-game win streak that’s put them back in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. Though Dallas is currently ranked eighth, the team is just half a game behind the sixth-place Sacramento Kings and one game back of the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers.
Even still, the season has been far from a success for the Mavericks. With the team starved for future draft assets and light on salary space, the Mavericks have few options to make a splashy move before the trade deadline. And if things don’t continue progressing for Dallas, teams are ready to pounce.
According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, one player to keep an eye on is Wood.
“Rival teams have begun monitoring what the Dallas Mavericks intend to do with center Christian Wood. Dallas has yet to show any indication that he has been made available for a trade, but some teams believe that could change soon.”
Dallas might not be interested in moving Wood yet, but that could change once the team makes a decision about his extension.
The four-year, $77 million extension that Wood is eligible for would push Dallas into the luxury tax next season. As it stands, Dallas projects to have about $18 million in space before hitting that luxury tax, per Spotrac. Keeping Wood at roughly $19 million per season would nudge Dallas just over that threshold. The Mavs also face a decision with fellow center Dwight Powell, who could earn up to $16 million next season.
Does Dallas want to pay both players?
Do the Mavericks Keep Powell or Wood?
The Wood versus Powell debate really comes down to one factor: how the pair play with Luka Doncic. That is and should be the deciding factor for just about every roster decision Dallas faces for as long as Doncic is in the Lone Star State.
We should start with the caveat that Doncic makes everyone’s life easier. He’s getting teammates better looks (evidenced by the nearly six percent better the team shoots when he’s on the floor) that ensure the team is plus-7.5 points per 100 possessions over opponents when he plays.
At first blush, Wood is the obvious choice with Doncic on the floor. His defense leaves quite a bit to be desired, but Doncic-Wood lineups are dumping in over 121 points per 100 possessions, which ranks in the 96th percentile of qualifying lineups.
Howdy, folks 🤠 Merry Christmas!
But there is a case to be made for Powell. Doncic-Powell lineups aren’t just stellar offensively (123 points per 100 possessions), but Powell serves as the defensive anchor of Dallas’ frontcourt. Add in the baked-in chemistry between Doncic and Powell from the Mavs’ Conference Finals run last season, and there’s a case to be made for keeping Powell for what he means to Dallas and shipping Wood while his value is still high.
But in Wood, Dallas has potentially found the best offensive big man pairing with Doncic (looking at you, Kristaps Porzingis). Throw in Josh Green, who is in the midst of his best season yet, and the Mavs might have an intriguing (and relatively youthful) core to build around. And those Wood-Green-Doncic lineups have held up well — an otherworldly plus-35.5 point differential — through 330 possessions this season.