"Switched out one plodder for another" - NBA fans stunned over Lakers waiving Christian Wood after his confident comeback tweet

The LA Lakers are making room to accommodate center Alex Len, who recently signed with the team after clearing his release waivers from the Sacramento Kings. Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Lakers have waived the injured Christian Wood to open up a roster spot.

Wood has not played a game in the 2024-25 NBA season as he recovers from his left knee surgery. The last time he played was on Feb. 14, 2024. He was expected to make a return in November but had to undergo another surgery on his knee. Since then, there have been no updates on his health.

Coach JJ Redick told reporters in December that Wood is still improving. However, Los Angeles's recent roster changes led to his eventual release.

After the roster move, fans had fun on X (formerly Twitter).

"They replacing Christian Wood with Alex Len 🤣🤣🤣🤣" a fan made fun of the team.

"Lakers switched out one plodder for another," another fan mocked the move.

"Yea i looked at him on the bench yesterday like what he there for😂" one fan commented.

Other fans knew the decision from the organization was coming.

"I mean the guy wasn’t going to play at all," one fan said.

"I was certain the Christian Wood cut would lead to a Jordan Goodwin call up," another fan commented.

"Bro was deada** a waste of a roster spot. Good move lmao," a fan posted.

On Monday, Christian Wood hinted at his return when a fan account on X asked him. Wood indicated his development and his potential comeback to the starting lineup. However, he did not give a timetable for his return.

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How good was Christian Wood with the Lakers?

Christian Wood was expected to be an excellent pickup for the Lakers in 2023. Before he signed with Los Angeles, the big man had a great year with the Dallas Mavericks and finished ninth in the Sixth Man of the Year during the 2022-23 season.

However, he wasn't utilized well with the Los Angeles team. He played 50 games, averaging 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 17.4 minutes. His efficiency from the floor also decreased when he started playing for the Purple & Gold squad.

Wood shot 46.6 percent from the field after he made 51.5 percent the previous season. His 3-pointers weren't reliable either. The big man shot a lowly 30.7 percent from deep after making 37.6 percent before he arrived at Los Angeles.

Overall, his time with the team was marred with injuries and fewer opportunities on the floor.