4 reasons why the Rockets traded talented big Christian Wood to the Mavericks

The Houston Rockets just traded their leading scorer, Christian Wood, to the Dallas Mavericks. For some, this transaction might be surprising.

Wood, 26, is a versatile player who scores well as a rim runner and on pick and pop possessions. That makes him an ideal pick and roll partner for Luka Doncic in Dallas. He was the most productive rebounder and shot-blocker on the roster for the Rockets last season, too. So why would Houston’s front office decide it was time to move on from him?

Although he is on a fair contract relative to market value, Wood’s deal is set to expire at the end of the season. The organization clearly did not have much intention of re-signing him, so they were able to extract some value from his services rather than letting him walk for nothing.

Here is why they were likely prepared to do that, and why this was a smart and savvy decision by Houston’s decision-makers:

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets used two first-round picks on big men last season, selecting Alperen Sengun at No. 16 overall and Usman Garuba at No. 23 overall.

Even though Garuba did not get a ton of playing time last season, Sengun is clearly a focal point of Houston’s offensive identity moving forward. The Turkish big man played 20.7 minutes per game, ultimately moving into the starting lineup for the final stretch of the regular season.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

While the Rockets went big twice in the first round last year in Sengun and Garuba, they’re primed to do so again on June 23.

Houston landed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and they’ll pick the best player available still on the board. Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren will likely go to Orlando and Oklahoma City with the first two picks.

That means leaves Duke’s Paolo Banchero primed for a spot in Houston, and he warrants immediate minutes for the Rockets next season. He may even be the frontrunner to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.

(Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP)

This sounds counterintuitive, but Wood may be too good for what the Rockets need right now.

Last season, Wood led the team with 17.9 points per game. While that reads well on the stat sheet, Houston is still rebuilding their roster after trading away James Harden.

As they develop their young core of Green and their top pick in this class, they can be in a prime position to add the astonishing French prospect Victor Wembenyama (read more about him here) or G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson next year.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Not only will the Rockets now have more playing time to offer Sengun and Banchero or Holmgren, but they also gained another draft asset from Dallas in this deal.

The Mavericks sent Houston the No. 26 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Now the Rockets have three first-round picks (they also have the No. 17 pick, via the Nets) this year. They can potentially add some more talent outside the lottery, too.

Some of their recently reported pre-draft workouts include Tari Eason, Nikola Jovic, MarJon Beauchamp, Kennedy Chandler, and Kendall Brown.