Lakers Finally Sign Long-Awaited Free Agent Target
Months of speculation came and went without any semblance of a deal, but one free agent target for your Los Angeles Lakers has finally agreed to a deal with the team.
After failing to come to terms in the first two months of free agency, Rob Pelinka finally has his man, fresh off a lucrative year with the Dallas Mavericks, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports:
Weeks of speculation on whether or not the deal would be completed can finally be put to rest as the Lakers bring in one of the best remaining free agents left on the open market in Christian Wood.
At 6'10", Christian Wood is a solid backup power forward/center who can start some games if needed. His previous stop in Dallas looked fine on a stat sheet, but further past the surface some questions arose.
He's clearly talented on the offensive end. The Mavs, however, needed a better rim protector aside from the scoring punch that Wood typically provides.
As a result, Wood fell out of favor with head coach Jason Kidd's rotation and settled into a bench role for a good chunk to finish out the 2023 season.
Wood now has a chance to compete for backup big man minutes in Los Angeles behind (and, perhaps occasionally, alongside) starting center Anthony Davis in a move the Lakers hope will pay off.
Even with forwards Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince now on the roster, Wood's versatile game that includes both three-point shooting and being a roll man on pick and pop plays will play perfectly into All-Star LA forward LeBron James' play style.
Though center Jaxson Hayes will likely also factor into backup frontcourt minutes for the regular season, Wood has a chance to change the narrative about his recent career as he and the rest of the Lakers roster chase banner No. 18 in 2024.
Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!