Mavs ‘Haven’t Ruled Out’ Christian Wood Sign & Trade; Lakers An Option?

Christian Wood won’t be making his way back to the Dallas Mavericks next season, but depending on what opportunities arise, a sign-and-trade could still be possible.

Before last year’s NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks traded for Christian Wood in hopes that he could resolve their frontcourt needs. For whatever reasons — whether it’s Wood’s fault, or head coach Jason Kidd’s fault, or a little of both — that didn’t pan out the way Dallas hoped it would.

Now, more than two weeks into free agency, most of the money on the open market has dried up, and Wood is still searching for a new home. He is not expected to be back with the Mavs, but that doesn’t mean Dallas isn’t willing to help him reach his new destination if a sign-and-trade is needed.

“League sources say Dallas has not ruled out participating in a sign-and-trade deal that lands Christian Wood with a new team if it is presented with such a scenario,” NBA Insider Marc Stein wrote in his latest newsletter.

“The issue for the Mavericks: They are already hard-capped and only $9 million and change away from hitting the NBA's first luxury-tax apron, so it has been stressed to me that they would have to really like the player they receive in return to partake in such a deal.”

One team with known interest in Wood is the Los Angeles Lakers. In theory, it’s easy to see how the Mavs would have interest in a potential sign-and-trade with the Lakers if Jarred Vanderbilt would be the player coming back to them. The only problems with this idea are that 1) Vanderbilt in on an expiring $4.7 million deal, which is likely less than what Wood wants to make annually, and 2) for a sign-and-trade to be possible, the Lakers would have to give Wood a deal that’s at least three years in length.

Making a deal like this work isn’t impossible, but it would be tricky. If Nico Harrison and company could pull it off, though, adding Vanderbilt, who is a versatile 6-9 perimeter defender, could make up for Dallas missing out on Matisse Thybulle in restricted free agency. Vanderbilt helped the Lakers turn their season around last year, but his role was suppressed the longer L.A. advanced in the postseason.

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