Best Landing Spot: Dallas Mavericks
It’s easy to forget now, but when the Houston Rockets signed Christian Wood heading into the 2020-21 season, it wasn’t to land a cornerstone in a rebuild. He was a win-now piece.
Wood was supposed to be the floor-spacing big man who would maximize Russell Westbrook and James Harden without sacrificing (too much) size. The Rockets even hired former Dallas Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas to replicate the offense he ran using Luka Doncic alongside stretch bigs.
Of course, we know what happened next. Westbrook quickly demanded a trade, and Harden did the same shortly after. Now, the Rockets are Jalen Green’s team. Why not send Wood to a place with a system that he was meant to play in?
Wood’s three-point shooting would open up this Dallas Mavericks offense. Plus, they’re reasonably equipped to run him at the 4. Lineups featuring him alongside Maxi Kleber would feature five-out spacing, and Kleber’s defensive versatility would cover up for Wood’s warts on that end.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Teams Pursuing Rockets’ Christian Wood In Trade Talks Already
The Dallas Mavericks should also have the ammunition to get a deal done. Some combination of Josh Green, a first-round pick, and a comparable contract should be enough to acquire Wood. This feels like a perfect pairing to us.
