L.A. Lakers Ink Forward Christian Wood in Two-Year Contract
Power forward Christian Wood has made the decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, opting for a significant pay cut in order to help the team secure an NBA championship.
The Lakers and Chicago Bulls were both potential suitors for Wood's services in free agency, with the Bulls able to offer him a larger salary due to an injury exemption with point guard Lonzo Ball. However, Wood chose to join the Lakers in Hollywood rather than the Windy City.
The Lakers signed Wood to a two-year deal for $5.7 million, with the player set to earn $2.7 million in the upcoming season. Wood also has a player option for the next season worth $3 million.
Wood's decision to take a hefty pay cut came as he looked to team up with LeBron James in pursuit of the NBA title. Earning $14.3 million last season with the Dallas Mavericks, he averaged $13.3 million per year during his two-season tenure with the Houston Rockets.
Wood registered 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with the Mavs in the previous season, shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range.
Wood, currently priced at +3000 odds to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award, will join center Jaxon Hayes as the newest free agent additions to the Lakers. He is expected to serve as a reserve power forward with the potential to back up Anthony Davis. Alternatively, Wood could potentially shift to the center position in small-ball lineups if head coach Darvin Ham determines such a strategy would be advantageous.
Wood's versatility and ability to provide perimeter shooting make him a valuable asset to the team. In the past two seasons, he has ranked among the top high-volume 3-point-shooting big men in the league, one of four players at least 6-foot-10 who have reached the 100-three pointers mark in both years. The other three are Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Nikola Vucevic of the Bulls.
Anthony Davis, who can now focus on playing power forward more frequently, will be less likely to face bruising centers as frequent opponents in the Western Conference, including Nikola Jokic, Steven Adams, Deandre Ayton, and Jonas Valanciunas. Davis has had a history of injury issues, prompting him to miss 26 games in the most recent season, 42 games two years ago, and 36 games three years ago. The Lakers won the NBA championship during Davis' first season with the team in the 2019-20, but have struggled in the subsequent years, being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs on two occasions and failing to qualify for the postseason in the previous season.
The Lakers, who finished the 2021-22 season with a 43-39 record, making them the #7 seed in the Western Conference via play-in tournament, surprised the #2 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the conference semifinals, before being swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. While LeBron James considered retirement after the loss to the Nuggets, he ultimately decided to continue playing with the Lakers for at least one more year. The Lakers' win total for the next season was set at 47.5 games by oddsmakers,with a -380 odds of making the playoffs and +285 odds of missing the postseason.
The Lakers are currently +1200 odds to win the 2023-24 NBA championship and +750 odds to win the Western Conference title.
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