- The Lakers have signed Christian Wood on a two-year deal
- Wood grew up in Southern California
- The 27-year-old took to X to react to the big news
Christian Wood has signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he seems pretty excited about it. Wood took to X once the news broke about his signing and claimed it was always a dream of his to play for the Lakers.
“It’s always been my dream to be a Laker.”
It’s always been my dream to be a laker 💜💛
— 35 (@Chriswood_5) September 6, 2023
Wood did grow up in Southern California, so a move to the Lakers would indeed be very special for him.
The 27-year-old put up good numbers in 67 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He would be hoping to make a big impact on his new team.
The Lakers got him on a fairly cheap deal, too, as Wood will make $2.7 million this upcoming season and has a player option worth just over $3 million for the 2024-25 campaign.
The Lakers Believe They Can Unlock Christian Wood’s Potential
A look at Wood’s numbers last season may make you wonder why on earth he was unsigned all this time. The reasons for that are quite simple.
He is viewed as a bit of a ball-stopper on offense, and he has been pretty terrible on defense. An NBA insider revealed teams were hesitant to sign Wood due to concerns regarding his professionalism as well.
There is a reason why the Mavericks made no attempt to re-sign him, and L.A. is now going to be Wood’s eighth team in eight seasons in the NBA. The Lakers, though, are optimistic they can unlock Wood’s true potential.
They believe the team’s structure would help eliminate some of his bad habits and deficiencies. There are few who are better at getting the best out of their teammates than LeBron James, and the Lakers would be pinning their hopes on him getting it done here.
It is also really a low-risk move for the Lakers and if this situation isn’t working out, they can just part ways with him and not have it affect them cap-wise in any big way.
How Does Christian Wood Fit With The Lakers?
Wood probably won’t be a starter for the Lakers, but he does bring some things to the table that the team definitely could use.
For starters, he is a big man who can shoot, having connected on 37.6% of his shots from beyond the arc last season. The Lakers don’t really have bigs who shoot well, especially with Anthony Davis having struggled so much with his outside shot in recent years.
In case Davis goes down with an injury, he also helps lessen the blow on the offensive end and on the glass, as he is also a good rebounder, standing at 6-foot-10.
If Wood embraces this bench role and tries to fit in for the greater good of the team, this might just be a slam dunk of a move. His talent has never really been in question, and perhaps this might just be the location where everything comes together for Wood.
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