Christian Wood

The Dallas Mavericks, as they're wont to do, completed a rather out-of-nowhere trade on Wednesday night, acquiring big man Christian Wood from the Rockets ...

He’s a career 38% shooter from beyond the arc, and that stat is trending upward. During that stretch he shot 55.9% from the field and 40.6% from beyond the arc. Wood posted double-figure point totals in each of the last 16 games of the Pistons’ season. He bounced back and forth between the 76ers and G-League team Delaware 87ers in his rookie season, and signed with Charlotte the next year. Last season he averaged 17.9 PPG and 10.1 rebounds. He originally went undrafted in 2015 and joined up with the Rockets’ summer league team, eventually being signed by the Philadelphia 76ers. Detroit added a conditional first-round pick. In two seasons with the Rockets, Wood has averaged 19.1 points and just under 10 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game. In Wood’s senior season they went 35-1. He put up 30, 22 and 32 points in the final three games before the shutdown. The final month-plus of the COVID-impacted 2019-20 season was certainly a factor in Wood locking in a multi-year deal with what was then a championship contender (in theory). A sign-and-trade to the Rockets followed after Wood agreed to a 3-year, $41-million deal (which he’ll be in the final year of with the Mavericks).

The Mavs and Rockets made a splash with a trade revolving around Christian Wood. But which team got the better end of the deal?

Given the circumstances, it’s hard to imagine the Rockets doing much better than what they got. But in sending him away this early, that opens the door for incoming sophomore big Alperen Sengun to start at center and enter training camp with that distinction, potentially fast-tracking his development this season. The four veterans coming to Houston are all expiring at season’s end and can easily be waived if need be to free up a roster spot. Among the teams that made the second round in the playoffs, they ranked dead last in rebounding, blocked shots and points in the paint. It’s the perfect low-risk, high-reward move that the Mavs needed to make to help Luka Doncic. As with every trade, some teams have the potential to get the better end of the deal than their trade partner.

Picture this potential starting five for the Dallas Mavericks next season, Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dwight Powell and newcomer big man ...

The trade of Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets to Dallas Mavericks should free up minutes for second-year center Alperen Şengün.

The Rockets hold the third overall pick, and three names are currently circulated as the three possible candidates to go first overall. For Şengün's chances to become more solidified, Smith and Banchero would be easier players to fit next to him. And finally there's Paolo Banchero, primarily a four, but someone who should also be used at center for periods of time. That's not surprising given that Houston was one of the worst teams in the league this season, and he didn't play more than 20.7 minutes per game. While Şengün right now appears to have received a path towards more minutes next season, the 2022 NBA draft still has something to say about it. While not much of a shooter in Turkey (he took 21 in league play, hitting four), Şengün took 117 this season, hitting 29. While the Turk did display monstrous rates of turnovers (18.8 TOV%) and fouls (5.6 per 36 minutes), that's perfectly normal for any big man coming into the league. There's nothing to suggest Şengün has a set ceiling. While the Mavericks may have won the trade in terms of raw talent, there's another perspective that seems to fly under the radar. Moving off Wood allows for Alperen Şengün to step into a larger role for Houston next season, which should be a good thing. Particularly, the assists seem easy to overlook. Setting aside fans who are dedicated and invested NBA fans, Şengün hasn't yet established himself as a major name in the broader public eye.

How much better is Dallas now? Is Houston done making moves? Kevin Pelton examines the Mavs' trade for big man Christian Wood.

Gordon was a good mentor for the team's young guards last season but might be rewarded for that service with a deal to a contender. The cost to the Mavericks is both a draft and financial hit. The Rockets have 15 players under guaranteed contract plus forward Jae'Sean Tate, who has a non-guaranteed team option and is sure to be back. This deal can't be completed until after the draft because the Mavericks already owe a protected 2023 first-rounder to the New York Knicks from the Porzingis trade. In fairness to Wood, we've never seen him in a defensive culture like the one the Mavericks enjoyed in Kidd's first season as coach. Doncic and Kleber were a particularly potent pick-and-pop pairing, and Wood can do the same. How well will Wood fit in Dallas as the Mavericks aim to build a sustainable contender around star Luka Doncic? And what's next for the Houston Rockets after dealing one of their few proven veteran players? That context makes it difficult to evaluate how he might play on a contender, particularly in the playoffs -- he's never played in them before. Like Kleber, Wood is capable of filling an increasingly important role in the modern NBA: playing power forward during the regular season than sliding down to center in the playoffs as teams downsize. At $14.8 million in 2022-23, the final season of his contract, Wood is a good value for the upcoming season. Presumably, the Mavericks wanted to add another big man capable of stretching the floor. (Wood has yet to start a game for a team that finished better than 33-49.)

The Christian Wood trade allows Alperen Sengun to become Houston's starting center, but more frontcourt roster moves might still be needed.

At a minimum, it could require some minutes wizardry by head coach Stephen Silas, such as allowing Banchero to play some minutes as a “small” forward. Assuming health, that would make up at least 60 of the 96 available minutes each game at power forward — and that could be a conservative estimate. If Tate or Garuba could further develop their outside shot, they might also be excellent candidates to play at small forward position and space the floor. Beyond long-term roster construction, the Rockets were also invested in this trade for short-term purposes, since they needed to open up frontcourt minutes. It wasn’t the world’s greatest asset return, but Houston didn’t need it to be. It was a difficult situation for the Rockets, but it was also one that second-year general manager Rafael Stone navigated well.