What the Lakers signing Christian Wood means for the team

Inside the Thomas & Mack Center at the Las Vegas Summer League, two front-office staff from the identical NBA group questioned about the maximum proficient unfastened agent nonetheless on the board.

One a scale of one to 100, they had been requested, how would they really feel about Christian Wood, the giant guy with the clean jumper and the tough popularity, signing with a team for the league minimal?

One scout temporarily gave a rating in the 80s, mentioning Wood’s plain skill and value on offense. The different govt snickered. His quantity was once decrease.

“Zero,” he mentioned.

Late Tuesday night time, the Lakers put themselves prime on that scale, agreeing to signal Wood to a two-year take care of a participant choice for the 2nd 12 months. Wood will make the veteran’s minimal, which for him is $2.7 million this season.

In phrases of skill as opposed to value, it’s an absolute discount.

The 6-foot-10, soon-to-be 28-year-old Wood is certainly one of just a handful of gamers in the NBA together with his dimension and abilities. Last season, best six gamers 6-10 or taller made a minimum of 37% in their three-points pictures whilst taking greater than 250 makes an attempt. Wood was once certainly one of them — at the side of Lauri Markkanen, Brook Lopez, Kristaps Porzingis, Bobby Portis and Michael Porter Jr.

In the fashionable NBA, and specifically on a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a floor-spacing giant is a shockingly necessary piece. But as with the rest present in the deep cut price pile, there’s more than likely a explanation why it’s there.

With Wood, there are questions on his talent to serve as in a team protection — questions that didn’t get spoke back in a good means remaining season when he performed for Dallas — and about his willingness to simply accept his position, with folks seeing an opening between what Wood’s highest use could be and what Wood would view as the highest use of his abilities.

The issues had been severe sufficient that the Lakers had been ready to land Wood greater than two months into unfastened firm. The best perk Wood was once ready to attain in negotiations was once the participant choice in Year 2, an insurance coverage for him will have to the Lakers come to a decision to transport on if issues don’t paintings.

The Lakers may waive Wood, devour the wage this season and stretch the last portion of the deal over more than one seasons to ease the cap implications. The hope is that it received’t come to that, and that Wood, like Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder ahead of him, will use the minimal contract with the Lakers to play properly sufficient to earn an important elevate.

And since the Lakers started their pursuit of Wood months in the past, they’ve had various time to speak it over and are available to the conclusion that that is the proper spot for him.

While it’ll be Wood’s 8th team in 8 seasons in the NBA, there are causes to consider the timing is correct for the partnership.

One, his position will have to be more uncomplicated to simply accept after free-agency pastime in Wood was once muted regardless of the spectacular abilities and statistics. Two, the defensive issues will also be reasonably mitigated by way of surrounding him with higher defensive teammates than he had in Dallas or Houston. And 3, there’s some inside self belief that trainer Darvin Ham’s presence on the sideline and James’ management in the locker room can lend a hand stay Wood centered.

The signing solutions the greatest roster query the Lakers had after their well-reviewed offseason. Despite including Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish and re-signing Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers nonetheless had to a participant who may step in and play with Davis or, extra importantly, fill in if he will get injured. Same is going for James.

Wood unquestionably was once the highest participant to be had, able to making the signing look like a no brainer.

The possibility? That’s a no brainer too. Locker-room and on-court chemistry are subtle, and Wood may disrupt it.

But together with his reasonable contract, usable abilities and lots of motivation, the Lakers considered it as a possibility price taking, capping their offseason with the best participant nonetheless on the board.