Christian Wood is an American professional basketball player who went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, after playing college basketball for UNLV.
Standing at 6 feet 10 inches tall, Wood can play both as a power forward and center. He first signed with the Philadelphia 76ers after going undrafted in 2015, but only appeared in 17 games for them before being waived. He then had brief stints with the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks, continuing to float between the NBA and the G League.
It wasn't until the 2018-19 season that Wood finally found consistent playing time in the NBA. He signed with the New Orleans Pelicans that season and posted decent numbers, averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. This earned him a two-year contract with the Detroit Pistons.
In the 2019/20 season with the Pistons, Wood averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds, on 56.7% shooting, including 38.6% from 3-point range.
In 2020, Wood was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he averaged 21.0 points and 9.6 rebounds in the 2020/21 season. During his time in Houston, Wood also recorded a career-high 39 points in the 2021-22 season against the Washington Wizards.
Despite the impressive stats, the Rockets traded Wood in the 2022 offseason to acquire younger prospects. This led to Wood being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks in June 2022.
Christian Wood Trade
The Los Angeles Lakers made a big addition to their frontcourt by trading for Christian Wood from the Dallas Mavericks in 2023. The Lakers agreed to a deal that brought Wood to LA on a two-year contract, with a player option in the second year.
Acquiring Wood gives the Lakers some much-needed frontcourt depth behind Anthony Davis. When healthy, Davis is the clear starting power forward, but Wood provides insurance at that position and can also play center.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham will have plenty of lineup options with the addition of Wood. He could play Wood and Davis together at times to have a towering frontcourt duo. Or when Davis is on the bench, Wood can play center in smaller lineups or pair with another big like Jaxson Hayes.
In 11 games played so far in the 2023-24 season, Wood is averaging 6.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The hopes are high that his valuable time on the court for the Lakers will help the team to go deep into the playoffs.
FAQs
A. Born on September 27, 1995, Christian Wood is 28 years old as of November 2023.
A. Christian Wood has played for eight NBA teams so far.
A. Up until the end of the 2022/23 season, Christian Wood has 2,113 boards in his career.
A. Christian Wood now represents the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA.
A. Christian Wood is 6 feet 10 inches tall.
