After what felt like a decade of discussion, the 18-month Christian Wood experiment is over in Houston. Wood arrived in Houston in a sign and trade that, at the moment, made him a tertiary piece on a roster competing for the NBA Championship. With James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Houston Rockets felt they had found their missing piece. Where Westbrook had dominated as a “Center” in the micro-ball experiment, Wood was a scoring threat along the perimeter. Where the Rockets lacked rim protection during that era, Wood offered a 6’10” frame and his length to help. Within six weeks of Wood coming to Houston, he became the first option. But it wasn’t because of his ascent.
The fallout of the Rockets left fans with John Wall, who to date has played all of 40 games in a Rockets uniform, and Christian Wood. Wood became the “hot button” topic in online fan debates, in large part because if Houston were to make moves to get better he was the most valuable piece. On the flip side, as Houston won just 37 games over the two seasons with Wood on the roster… he also took the brunt of the blame for the on-the-floor play.
It was an interesting place: to be so good that he’s the Houston Rockets’ most valuable asset was a concession that Christian Wood is good. But acknowledging that he was the focal point of the worst team in the NBA felt like the opposite.
Somewhere in that seesaw, a deal was struck with the Dallas Mavericks. As Christian Wood takes a short drive up I-45, let’s look at the deal
The Dallas Mavericks sent Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, former Rockets Sterling Brown and Marquese Chriss, and the Number 26 pick for Wood. There are a number of ways to read into the movement.
Wood in Dallas?
Sources: The Mavericks are sending Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss and the No. 26 pick to the Rockets for Christian Wood. https://t.co/fbxxAL7OGu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2022
The Dallas Mavericks have to feel like they struck gold with their smallball lineups. Against Phoenix and Utah, having guys like Maxi Kleber space the floor unlocked Luka Doncic and got their dominant big men –Rudy Gobert and DeAndre Ayton- out of the lane for guys like Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Christian Wood is a clear upgrade at the small five / big four positions for Dallas. This season, with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. serving as the perimeter attackers, Wood shot 39 percent from behind the three-point line. That in and of itself is an improvement for the space-and-pace Mavs.
But where Wood adds a dimension is as another threat off of the bounce. Wood doesn’t have the arsenal that Doncic has, but he’s another guy the defense will have to account for. Suddenly, assuming Dallas can bring back Jalen Brunson, the Mavericks have four options that can attack the rim from the perimeter.
That’s not to say it will all be roses in Dallas. Houston Rockets fans can attest to the flaws in Wood’s game. Defensively, he is not the rim protector a starting 6’10” Center is supposed to be but isn’t quite light enough on his feet to play either forward spot. Wood’s had monster blocks, but he has also had moments where he shies away to avoid a poster, foul, or both.
Offensively, Christian Wood is dynamic… but Christian Wood appears to think he’s generational. Wood shot well from three- but seemed to have an oddly timed trigger for shooting the basketball. It’s not that Wood wasn’t good, but he isn’t the kind of guy that can will himself into taking over a game. Dallas has that guy in Doncic, and on paper, a three-level roller on a five-out screen and roll would be fantastic. But will they get on the same page?
Wood’s career is that of a fighter. After going undrafted out of UNLV, he spent chunks of his first four seasons in the NBA bouncing between teams, the development league, and the waiver wire. When he signed in Houston in November of 2020, that three-year contract was his first multi-million dollar annual contract. That’s a long way from the $3,000 10-Day contract or $21,000 G League contracts he signed on as a rookie. But that fight also plays itself out on the court as a guy who is always looking to prove something. And at times, trying to prove something means being selfish.
Wood had notable moments of this in Houston. He refused to shoot in a half because he felt he took too much of the blame at halftime. He refused to re-enter a game earlier this year because of how the coaching staff worked with Porter Jr. (who also left said game at halftime). There were also several games where Wood broke his teammates’ hot streaks by chucking up shots of his own, spending large portions of the shot clock in isolation, or breaking away from the set entirely to go attempt a contested eight-footer.
But to Wood’s credit, Houston was bad. Houston won just 37 games while he was there, and being selfish on a bad team doesn’t necessarily yield being selfish on a good one Dallas was just in the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA Champs, and the change of scenery could be exactly what Wood needs.
Wood is entering a contract year, which was reportedly a thing several young Rockets worried about. On a bad team, a contract year for a vet can become an “I need to prove I am worth money to a good team” kind of year, and -for a guy already playing selfishly- that could have been disastrous for a roster that otherwise seems to be very much all on good terms. But on a good team a contract year can become a “I need to prove I am worth it and integral to this team winning” kind of year. Dallas, clearly, is planning on the latter.
What’s Next?
In Houston, this appears to be a sign of more to come. All indications are Houston wants to move up from the 17 spot, a pick they received from Brooklyn in the James Harden trade, without moving their third overall pick. Thus, flipping Wood for some salary-matching players and the 26th pick gives them more flexibility. Teams are less likely to want a fixed asset, like a 26-year-old player with one year on his contract, than a broad one, like a late first-round draft pick.
Several teams picking between picks 6 and 11 are clearly trying to avoid a complete rebuild. Thus, Houston is banking on them being more likely to want two role players (picked at spots 17 and 26) for more than one development project. Further, Washington, New Orleans, Portland, and New York each have just one first-round pick. The Houston Rockets hope they’ll want to double up.
If Houston can’t flip the 17th and 26th picks to move up in the draft, don’t be surprised to see Houston flip the 26th pick with a team that contends in the present tense, for a future first-round pick. Rafael Stone has shown before that he understands the long game, and rosters change quickly in the NBA.
Just because a team is good right now does not mean they will be in the 2023-24 season. After the 2022-23 season, Houston’s draft capital diminishes greatly. With top four protections, Houston’s own 2024 and 2026 first-round picks are heading to Oklahoma City. Houston will have Brooklyn’s picks in those seasons, but that’s it. After four first-round picks a season ago, three this year, and (presently) two in 2023, having just one a season may not be enough to bank on. Even if Houston is a contender by 2024, the draft capital would be nice to use in later trades.
Long story short- I don’t see Houston realistically picking at 26 this season. As an asset, it has clear value. And if Houston can pair it with pick 17 and move up to draft another impactful young prospect then it’s absolutely worth it. If the Houston Rockets can pair it with a vet in exchange for a future first-round pick, and said future first-round pick brings in the final piece on a contending team then it is also very worth it.
And, if the trade simply got something to end some locker room clashing in Houston… then it may also have been worth it in a way we’ll never know.
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