Mavericks has upgraded his starting lineup in a deal with Christian Wood. Christian Wood is almost certainly the better center than anyone else excavated at 26.th Choose a Thursday night draft.
By sending the draft selection and roll player package to the Houston Rockets in 6-10 Wood, Mavericks got the equivalent of a lottery pick. It can rebound, score, shoot from the surroundings, and block shots.
The deal, agreed last week, wasn’t allowed to go official until after Mavericks chose Wendell Moore Jr.th He was then able to hand him out to the Rockets with Boban Maryanovic, Trey Burke, Marquese Chris and Sterling Brown.
Rockets then moved Moore to Minnesota. The rubber stamp of the league approval did not come until early Friday morning.
Mavericks doesn’t own the picks for the first round of 2023, so he couldn’t exchange the picks until he made a choice this year. In essence, they were drafting for a rocket.
At Wood, the Mavericks are gaining momentum that should fit well with the Mavericks attack strategy of placing shooters around Luka Doncic. Wood was a 39% 3-point shooter last season. He will be 27 when the next season begins.
“Christians give us something we don’t have,” said General Manager Nico Harrison after the NBA approved the deal around 2 am Dallas time on Friday. “He’s a good rebounder. He’s super athletic. He’ll be great with Luka in pick and roll. He can play on the edge. He can also shoot. He’s in that position. And an aggressive guy, so we’re excited about it. “
At the start of the 2020-21 season, Mavericks played in Houston in the fifth game of the season. Wood had just joined the rocket in a trade from Detroit. When Mavericks arrived on January 4, 2021, he began his first season in Houston with seven consecutive games and seven rebounds with over 20 points, including 23.
Like most NBA guys, the Mavericks were fascinated by Wood, a fascinating combination of size, shoot, score, and rebound.
Have you ever said he can rebound?
As Mavericks found in the playoffs, they need a better rebound, and Wood clearly helps in that regard. If he is a double-digit rebounder, Mavericks can live with whatever he offers in the scoring department.
Like all the players Mavericks sent to Houston, Wood entered the final year of his contract and is worth about $ 14.3 million between 2022 and 23. He is eligible for an extension six months after the deal is officially made by the league.
According to Harrison, Wood is most likely to be the long-term center of Mavericks, but much has not yet been proven.
“I think we are offering a lot to each other,” he said. “I think we have to show him a little, and if that makes sense, he will have to show us a little.
“We don’t have anyone to do what he does. We don’t. There are some people in the league who do it. But can you get them? Please. He was the guy we saw we could get, and that just makes sense. He’s perfect for works that aren’t on our roster. “
The rocket is undergoing a major rebuild and is at risk of losing wood for free or losing its value next summer. This deal gave them another first round of assets to add to their stash, and it didn’t clog future salary cap space.
In the case of the Mavericks, they instantly slot into the starting lineup, stretch the floor, roll on the rim, and get a center that gives them a solid defense.
In other words, he checks many boxes in their “necessary” department.
In 68 games against Rockets last season, Wood averaged 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds, along with the number of blocks per game.
Two years ago, he achieved 1.2 blocks with an average of 21 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Wood spent two years in Las Vegas, Nevada, but wasn’t drafted in 2015 after the sophomore season. He flew around the league on short-term contracts and even had a short stint in the Chinese league.
However, he didn’t break through until the 2019-20 season, when he averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in Detroit. Houston signed him a three-year contract that summer.
Mavericks held 26th Pick, they would have been looking for a proverbial needle in a haystack.Last 26 daysth NBA Draft picks include Bones Highlands (2021, Denver), Laundry Shamet (2018, Philadelphia), George Hill (2008, San Antonio), Kevin Martin (2004, Sacramento), Vlade Divacs. (1989, Los Angeles Lakers) is included.
26 historyth Picks also include Caleb Swanigan (2017), Nikola Milutinoff (2015), Jordan Hamilton (2011), Ndudi Ebi (2003) and Mamadu Ndia (2000). Mixed bag, to say the least.
Twitter: @ESefko
