Christian Wood – Houston Rockets
While he is not as great of a shot-blocker as Myles Turner, Christian Wood is another intriguing name for Hornets’ fans to keep an eye on. Wood signed a three-year, $41M deal with the Houston Rockets ahead of last season and he quickly became one of the breakout players of the 2020-21 season.
In 41 games with the Rockets last year, Christian Wood averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and shot 51.4% from the floor, 37.4% from three-point range. So far this season, Wood’s scoring numbers have dropped slightly, but he is averaging a double-double on the season and is still an avid rim-protector.
Being owed just $13.6M this season and then $14.3M next season in the final year of his contract, Christian Wood is affordable and is playing way over the value of his current contract.
Trading for Christian Wood would be a steal for the Hornets, especially if all they would have to give up is PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee and a draft pick.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Intriguing Centers Named Potential Hornets Trade Targets
Houston is not actively pursuing trades for Christian Wood right now, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated on a recent episode of ‘The Lowe Podcast’ that the team is willing to listen to offers for him.
If a team is willing to listen to offers for a player, they most likely have a level of interest in trading them. The Rockets are rebuilding and after their latest locker room altercation involving Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood, they could have more reason to trade the big man while his value is at an all-time high.
Given that he is a threat on both ends of the floor, Christian Wood could be the perfect secondary contributor on the floor next to guys like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. On an affordable contract that expires at the conclusion of next season, the Hornets would still be able to search for more ways to add talent to their roster, even after trading for Wood.
He is a better all-around center than that of Mason Plumlee and offers an upside as a rim-protector, which is why the Hornets should pursue Christian Wood if they cannot get their hands on Myles Turner.
