'I Hope I'm Not Traded': Christian Wood Wants to Stay with Luka Doncic, Mavs

Following the acquisition of Kyrie Irving, speculation on the future of Christian Wood continues to build in Dallas.

Michael Mulford | Feb 6, 2023

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Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks made a splash on Sunday by acquiring eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets.

Dallas also received Markieff Morris in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and Dallas' 2027 and 2029 second-rounders.

But, with the trade deadline still three days away, could the Mavericks make another splash in the proverbial trade deadline pool? Mavericks forward Christian Wood hopes it's not him.

"I hope I'm not traded," Wood said at Monday morning's shootaround.

Questions have been swirling around Wood ever since he was acquired by the Mavericks last offseason: whether he'd work out in Dallas, was he worthy of an extension, or was a trade ultimately inevitable before he hits free agency?

Dallas has reportedly offered Wood an extension — the terms have yet to be revealed — yet while also continuing to shop the forward and his expiring contract.

Following the Irving trade, speculation of Wood being next out the door in Dallas has grown.

"Keep an eye on Christian Wood. What do they do with him?" Shams Charania asked on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back" on Monday morning. "They've offered him an extension from what I'm told."

Marc Stein reported on Sunday night via Substack that the Mavericks attempted to send Wood to Brooklyn in the Irving trade, but the Nets weren't interested. However, that doesn't mean Dallas won't continue shopping him.

"Don’t be surprised, though, if Wood still gets dealt before Thursday’s 3 PM ET trade buzzer," Stein wrote, as well as stating the Clippers have registered interest in the Mavs big man.

Wood has played well alongside Doncic, averaging 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, but it seems as if the Mavericks don't find him to be a long-term fit with the franchise with goals of contending for championships.

With the perimeter-defensive hole left by Finney-Smith's departure, you can bet that Dallas is actively looking for upgrades in that department, and Wood could be the trade piece to make that happen by Thursday.

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Published Feb 6, 2023

MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.