Former Philadelphia 76ers Player Released by LA Lakers

The LA Lakers cut ties with a former Sixers player.

Jan 19, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood (35) shoots the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) and guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A former Philadelphia 76ers player is now available on the open market. The Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with Christian Wood in order to make room for their new signing.

Alex Len, a seven-foot center, suddenly became the Lakers’ target after their trade plans with the Charlotte Hornets fell through by surprise last week.

Once Len cleared waivers, he decided against signing with the Indiana Pacers and landed with the Lakers instead, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

As a result, Wood is now going to be on the hunt for his next destination.

The Lakers are waiving Christian Wood to sign Len, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/PqANIme1CE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 11, 2025

It’s unclear where Wood is at in terms of his recovery at this point. Before the Lakers tipped off the 2024-2025 NBA season, Wood underwent knee surgery. The Lakers needed immediate frontcourt help, and Wood’s timeline clearly didn’t work for LA.

Unless Wood is able to make a return soon to join a playoff contender to take on a limited role, he might stay on the free agency market until the summertime.

Wood’s run in LA was short-lived, like his tenure in Philadelphia. Last season, Wood appeared in 50 games with the Lakers. He averaged seven points and five rebounds off the bench.

Jul 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Christian Wood (35) defends former UNLV team mate Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Entering the NBA in 2015, Wood went undrafted out of UNLV. He was one of many players to sign with the Sixers during their rebuilding days. After getting his start with the Sixers’ G League affiliate, he earned multiple 10-Day contracts with the Sixers before signing a standard deal in 2016.

During the 2015-2016 season, Wood appeared in just 17 games with the Sixers. He averaged only nine minutes on the court during that tenure. It would be the last stretch of games that Wood played for the Sixers before he started bouncing around the league.

After Philly, Wood spent time with the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and the Dallas Mavericks.

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