Getty LeBron James defending Christian Wood.
The Los Angeles Lakers roster is coming together with free agency winding down, but they could still be in the market for another center. The team waived center Mo Bamba on June 29 and signed former New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes. However, they may still want to add another one if they don’t plan to play Anthony Davis exclusively at center.
Former Dallas Mavericks big man Christian Wood is one of the most notable free agents still available. The Lakers would only be able to afford to give him a veteran’s minimum deal, but there’s now speculation growing that it could happen. @GuruLakers on Twitter noticed that Wood’s profile background on Twitter is a picture of him hugging Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
Christian Wood’s profile background 👀
It’s also worth noting that Wood is from Long Beach, California, which is a city in Los Angeles County. Playing for the Lakers would allow him to play closer to home. Wood has been one of the better offensive centers in the NBA in recent years. He averaged 16.6 points a game for the Mavericks last season, which was 10th among all centers. In the 2021-22 season, he averaged 17.9 points a game for the Houston Rockets, which was fourth-best for centers that season.
Christian Wood Would Be Interesting Fit With Anthony Davis
Christian Wood isn’t an elite defensive big man, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a fit with the Lakers. Anthony Davis has proven to be one of the best defensive players in the entire NBA. However, sometimes he can struggle on offense. He only hit 25.7% of his threes last season and scored less than 20 points in six of 16 playoff games.
Adding Wood could help take offensive pressure off of Davis on the offensive side of the court. That would allow him to continue playing elite defense without worrying as much about scoring points. He’ll still have nights where he puts up 30, but those nights where he puts up 15 won’t be as glaring if Wood is able to score 15 of his own. Considering he’s just 27 and has great offensive prowess, getting Wood on a veteran’s minimum would be a steal for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Lakers Interested in Adding Another Big Man: Insider
The Lakers currently have 13 players on the roster so there are two spots still available. The team has gone into the last couple of seasons with just 14 players so they can keep a spot open for a potential in-season addition. That could be the approach again this year, which means they are only likely to sign one more player.
According to a July 1 report from The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers are planning to use that 14th roster spot on a big man.
“L.A. is targeting another big man with its 14th roster spot, according to team sources,” Buha wrote. “They are likely to carry 14 guaranteed contracts into the season, leaving one roster spot open. Mo Bamba, whom the Lakers waived on Thursday, and Tristan Thompson, who joined the team right before their playoff run, remain options to fill that 14th spot, according to league sources. The big man market has been dry so far during this free-agency period, so the Lakers could also wait to see if better options present themselves.”