What's Next For Former Rockets Big Man Christian Wood?

Despite his offensive versatility, former Houston Rockets big man Christian Wood remains on the free agency market.

HOUSTON — The NBA still has a little over a month before players report to their respective teams. But if training camp began today, former Houston Rockets' big man Christian Wood will not be a participant.

Nearly two months after the start of free agency, Wood has remained on the open market. 

There was a brief moment during the 2022-23 campaign where it appeared Wood had found a home with the Dallas Mavericks. But due to their plan to "remake their center rotation," Wood's time with the Mavericks came to a quick end. 

Throughout the summer, several teams have shown interest in Wood. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat seem to be the top contenders. But for one reason or another, neither team has added Wood to their roster.

Wood has had his share of struggles on the defensive end. But given his time with the Rockets, Wood proved he could be a solid addition to any team still looking to upgrade their roster. 

After signing with the Rockets in December 2020, Wood had established himself as one of the finest big men in the league following a turbulent start to his NBA career.

He was arguably the Rockets' best player during the early 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 registered 37 wins over the previous two seasons. 

While appearing in a career-best 68 games during the 2021-22 campaign, Wood notched 17.9 points on 50.1 percent shooting from the field, to go along with 10.1 rebounds and a block.

"We have stuff that goes beyond basketball," former coach Stephen Silas said. "He had found his rhythm here."

The Rockets gave Wood his first genuine opportunity following a turbulent start to an NBA career. After going undrafted in 2015 out of UNLV, he played for five different teams and had three stops in the G League.