Why The Houston Rockets Should Trade Christian Wood

If the Houston Rockets are going to move on from Christian Wood, they would likely seek to add some high-upside younger players. This deal with the Toronto Raptors doesn’t necessarily do that, but there are some positives to it.

For starters, the two first-round picks are a nice haul. Any draft capital a rebuilding team acquires is good value. They can use that to add more young players to their roster or build a trade package around to bring in an established veteran when they are ready to take the next step and challenge for the postseason.

This trade could also enable the Rockets to double-dip on asset acquisition. Goran Dragic could be a popular trade chip with the deadline approaching. Chris Boucher with his rim protection and 3-point shooting could be also.

But, if the Rockets are unable to flip them again, they will reap the benefits monetarily. Both players are on expiring deals, which will clear millions of dollars off of their salary cap. Eric Gordon has two years remaining on his deal after this season, while Wood has one.

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For a rebuilding team, having cap space is beneficial as they could absorb contracts other teams are looking to get rid of with draft compensation attached to them. This deal would give them that opportunity, as the Rockets could build up a lot of draft capital with all of that cap space in the offseason.