Today, free agent F/C Christian Wood has agreed on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. For the 23-24 season, he'll make $2,709,849 and has a player option for the 24-25 season: $3,036,040. So who is Christian Wood and why did the Lakers sign him?
Wood was undrafted from UNLV in the 2015 NBA draft, but he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as an undrafted free agent. He has also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, and Houston Rockets before joining the Mavericks in 2022. Things didn't really pick up for him until he joined New Orleans in 2018 and started averaging double figures.
Wood, 27, is a 6'10" power forward/center who is known for his athleticism, versatility, and scoring ability. He is a good rebounder and defender, and he can also step out and hit three-pointers. He was one of four players 6-foot-10 or taller to make 100 3-pointers in each of the past two seasons.
Most recently in the 2022-23 season for the Dallas Mavericks, Wood averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game but didn't seem like he was used to his best ability. He started 17 of 67 games last season. He did miss games due to injury but also didn't play a lot of key points in the game.
Wood is a talented young player with a lot of potential. He is still developing his game only 27 years old, but he has already shown that he can be a valuable asset to an NBA team. Wood will now be joining his eighth team in as many NBA seasons.
So why did Lakers sign him? Well, Lakers can use another Center as they only have Davis and Hayes right now. There's a good chance that Wood can be a starter for the Lakers but we will see. Good signing for the Lakers especially with the low amount of money they paid.
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