Golden State Warriors Receive: C/F Christian Wood
Houston Rockets Receive: C James Wiseman, G Moses Moody, 2022 First-Round Pick (No. 28 overall)
This first hypothetical trade package is likely the kind of deal that the Houston Rockets are looking for. Given where they are in their rebuild, young, cost-controlled players and draft capital is what they should be on the lookout for. In this deal, they get just that.
James Wiseman was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft but has yet to make much of an impact for the Warriors. Wanting to capitalize on the championship window with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, they make the move to acquire the established Wood with Wiseman as the centerpiece.
Wiseman may have immense potential, but the Warriors cannot afford to keep waiting. He didn’t show much as a rookie and missed the entire 2021-22 season recovering from knee surgery. Houston has the time to wait things out and develop Wiseman.
A lot of the same can be applied to Moses Moody, who was a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He wasn’t able to consistently break into the rotation much as a rookie either and would benefit from landing on a team that will prioritize development over winning games. A rotation spot would be much easier to obtain on the Rockets compared to the Warriors.
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To sweeten the deal, the Warriors also send their 2022 first-round pick to the Rockets, who are parting ways with arguably their best player in Wood. He would improve an already stout Warriors lineup with his two-way play.
Wood has a versatile offensively game with legitimate 3-point range, knocking down 38 percent of his 3-pointers in his career. He is an excellent rebounder as well, as he averaged 10.1 per game this past season and has pulled down 9.9 per game with the Rockets.
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Wood offers the rebounding and defense that Looney can but as a much more dangerous offensive player, raising the team’s ceiling on that end of the court.
