Rockets, Mavericks NBA trade details: Christian Wood reportedly moved to Dallas
Luka Doncic will reportedly have another three-point threat to pass next season.
According to multiple reports, the Dallas Mavericks acquired center Christian Wood in a deal with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are reportedly sending Wood to the Mavericks in exchange for Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquis Criss and the 26th pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Dallas will also include Sterling Brown in the deal, the source said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2022
Here’s everything you need to know about the deal.
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Mavericks-Rockets NBA Trade Details
- Mavericks get: Christian Wood
- Missiles get: Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, Marquis Criss, 2022 First Round Pick (26th overall)
After an amazing postseason that saw them reach the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks are looking to remain a big player in the West with the acquisition of Wood.
The 6-foot-11, 26-year-old burly man averaged a double-double last season, averaging 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per game with the Rockets. Wood is a legitimate fourth man as he shot 39 percent of three on 4.9 attempts per game last season.
With Wood in their roster, the Mavericks now reportedly have another three-point threat that pairs perfectly with coach Jason Kidd’s five-out offensive schemes that created space for Doncic to act and create Luka’s magic.
Defence, however, is not Wood’s forte, as he is not strong enough to hit the center bottom and not fast enough to keep up with nimble power forwards. However, Kidd was able to turn Dallas into a top defensive team in his first season, and perhaps a more responsible system will put Wood on the defensive end.
Also, for the Mavericks, this reported deal helped clear a spot on their roster as they were able to shed non-rotational players and replace them with a talented but imperfect player.
For the Rockets, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the reported deal allows Houston to give Houston more playing time to rising winger Alperen Sengan and draft a potentially influential player in Paolo Bankero or Chet Holmgren with the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
The Rockets wanted to move Christian Wood to free up playing time for Alperen Sengan and probably the third overall pick, be it Paolo Bankero or Chet Holmgren. They jumped at the chance to get a first-round pick (and no long-term salary) in the process.
— Tim McMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 16, 2022
In terms of salary, Wood’s contract is expiring, and all of the players traded by the Mavericks to the Rockets also have expiring contracts. Thus, both teams were able to close the deal without adding any long-term salaries.
Potential Mavericks starting lineup
With the addition of Wood, Dallas can reportedly start a very formidable starting lineup and have significant depth on their bench. Of course, it remains to be seen if Dallas will sign all-around combo guard Jalen Brunson, but if they retain his services, here’s a look at potential Mavericks starting and key players next season:
- Luka Doncic
- Reggie Bullock
- Dorian Finney-Smith
- Christian Wood
- Dwight Powell
- Sixth man: Jalen Brunson
- Key reserves: Spencer Dinwiddie, Maxi Kleber, Tim Hardaway Jr.
On paper, it might look like Wood isn’t moving the needle that much for the Mavericks. But with Doncic’s continued rise as a superstar, the sky is limitless for the Mavs, and Wood has a skill set that can help keep the All-Star defenseman playing while keeping Dallas in the top tier of the Western Conference.
