Getty Christian Wood, Rockets
As this NBA season comes into focus, we have already gotten some sense of the big names who, possibly, could be on the move at next February’s trade deadline. No surprises, really. Though he is making progress toward returning to the floor in Philadelphia, Ben Simmons leads the charge, but the NBA cognoscenti are also paying attention to Damian Lillard in Portland, Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, Myles Turner in Indiana and Buddy Hield in Sacramento.
But could there be a surprise or two to hit the market? And if so, could that surprise land in Dallas?
That was the suggestion of Bleacher Report analyst Greg Swartz, who put together a list of “stars who could be surprisingly dealt” next winter. Among them was Rockets center Christian Wood, and the Mavericks were included on a list of four teams that, “could all use a center upgrade and have a combination of young talent and/or draft picks to send in return.”
Wood Is Coming Off a Breakout Year
Certainly, adding a 26-year-old who is coming off his breakout performance the way Wood is would be attractive to any team. The Rockets gambled on Wood last summer after a strong showing during his final season in Detroit, giving him a three-year, $41 million contract. That contract has turned out to be a bargain, as Wood averaged 21.0 points and 9.6 rebounds last season, shooting 51.4% from the field.
This year, he is backing that up with 19.2 points and 11.5 rebounds, and Wood has been red-hot from the arc, making 40.6% of his 3-pointers.
It’s also a sizable improvement from his first four years as a pro, which were marred by work-ethic questions and frequent trips to the G-League. Wood bounced through five NBA organizations in his first five seasons.
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He has welcomed the stability of being in Houston again, the first time he’s been on the same NBA team in back-to-back years, and said he wants to be with the Rockets for a long stretch.
“I know what we’re trying to build and develop,” Wood said, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m looking ahead at the future at what this team has to offer. I know we have a bunch of young talent. I said before, we’re not going to go in try to be the No. 1 seed or No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. But we’re going to try to play every game like it’s our last. I’m with it. … I’m with whatever they’re trying to do, and I want to stay for the long haul.”
What Would it Take to Land Wood?
The Mavericks should be looking for whatever good fits they can find to go with guard Luka Doncic, especially as the team’s would-be No. 2 star, Kristaps Porzingis, continues to struggle on the floor and with injuries. Wood does have the potential to highlight Doncic’s strengths as a big man who can stretch the floor and free up space, and as pick-and-roll partner.
But the Rockets don’t have much incentive to dump Wood, unless they’re looking to tank and collect another top draft pick. Wood is on a team-friendly deal, making $13.7 million this year and scheduled to make $14.3 million next year. It would likely take a lot to pry him out of Houston’s mitts.
The Mavericks owe the Knicks their 2023 first-rounder, and that means Dallas is ineligible to trade away picks in 2022 and 2024. And, despite the assertion from Swartz, the Mavs are not exactly dripping with young assets. Josh Green has some appeal, but who else on this roster would attract a rebuilding club? Jalen Brunson? Moses Brown? Could be a stretch.
Slapping Wood into the Mavs’ rotation would no doubt be fun. But it is hard to see how Dallas has the, “combination of young talent and/or draft picks,” the Rockets would surely seek for Wood.