Getty LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Despite being a significant part of head coach Jason Kidd’s rotation, the Dallas Mavericks do not seem interested in bringing back their big man Christian Wood. With the start of training camp looming, Wood remains a free agent.
The Mavericks could elect to re-sign him under the condition of a sign and trade. But under such a condition, it would be unlikely that the Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat became a landing spot for the free agent center, according to one NBA insider.
“The Lakers, after swiftly coming to terms with Anthony Davis on a three-year contract extension worth a projected $186 million, have maintained a level of interest in signing free agent big man Christian Wood, league sources say,” NBA insider Marc Stein, formerly of the New York Times and ESPN, wrote via his Substack account.
“The Lakers, though, remain limited in offering Wood anything beyond the league’s veteran minimum. As I reported here last month, Dallas remains open to facilitating a sign-and-trade for Wood if the Mavericks can acquire a player they like in the exchange, but neither the Lakers nor the Miami Heat are considered potential sign-and-trade destinations.”
Woike: Christian Wood Is Lakers ‘Top Choice’
Wood played valuable minutes for the Mavericks last season, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He also shot an efficient 37.6% from beyond the arc. Yet he remains a free agent. And for the majority of the summer, most teams have been mum on being interested in signing him.
Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times says that Wood has been known to have “personality issues” which would explain teams having a reluctance to sign him. But the insider also says the free agent big man is still the Lakers’ “top choice” in the pool of remaining free agents.
“We’re about a month removed from general manager Rob Pelinka speaking to reporters in Las Vegas, saying he was hopeful to fill the team’s 14th roster spot before training camp. That timeline is still in place, but the sense I get is that the team would prefer to get something done sooner rather than later. [Christian] Wood, from what I can tell, still seems like the top choice despite the defensive shortcomings and personality issues,” Woike writes.
“If Wood is waiting for a heftier paycheck than the league minimum that the Lakers can offer, so be it. But if his market is the minimum, and here in early August it sure seems like it is, the Lakers believe they offer the best situation for the talented big man.”
Mavericks Have a Surplus of Centers
Aside from the reported “personality issues” that come with employing Wood, another reason the Mavericks could be skeptical about resigning him is because of the clutter of centers they already have on their roster.
With Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleiber, and JaVale McGee all returning next season, and being regular rotation players, it would be difficult to bring back Wood and give him the type of minutes that he desires in the Mavericks rotation.
Another thing to consider is that the Mavericks’ style of play has completely changed now that Kyrie Irving is on the roster. Much of the Maverick’s offense following the Irving trade featured a two-man game with he and Luka Doncic, and you can probably expect more of the same next season. As a result, there will not be a lot of touches for Wood in a guard-heavy offense. A split is in the best interest of both parties.