Rockets’ Christian Wood Drawing Trade Interest; Should Mavs Make Draft Night Bid?

The Mavs need to upgrade their starting center position. Could Christian Wood be the answer?

HOUSTON — As good as the Dallas Mavericks were this season — they made it all the way to the Western Conference finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors — roster upgrades are needed if they hope to take the next step. One of the main areas that needs attention is the starting center position. Could the Mavs upgrade that spot by making a draft night deal with their I-45 rivals?

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Christian Wood is the most significant enigma the Houston Rockets face entering the off-season. Wood has arguably been the Rockets' best player during the premature stages of a rebuild after averaging 19.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks across 109 games.

But despite Wood's near all-star production, Houston has only recorded 37 wins over the previous two seasons.

The Rockets are eager to re-established themselves as a respectable team behind their rising young stars in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. But there is a chance Wood may not be a part of Houston's resurgence.

According to The Athletic, multiple teams have expressed interest in acquiring Wood ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft.

"It’s obvious why teams have been intrigued with Wood in the past — he's a unicorn of a big man," Kelly Iko said. "Wood is talented enough to where the Rockets can’t let him walk without getting assets back if their tenure is headed for an ending."

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Wood could still be a cornerstone piece to the Rockets' rebuild, but general manager Rafael Stone must decide whether or not to commit to the versatile big man financially.

Wood has one season left on his current contract. Should Houston not extend or trade their leading scoring before the start of the 2022-23 season, the Rockets will risk losing Wood next off-season during free agency for nothing.

In theory, the Mavs wouldn’t have the best trade package to offer the Rockets for Wood, but given the circumstances, perhaps they could at least get their foot in the door. Would a combination of Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber — two players set to be on expiring contracts next season — plus a first-round pick be enough? That bid might be worth making.

The draft will commence on June 23.