TRADE: Christian Wood (1yr/$14.3M) to DAL | #26+SB+Boban+Chriss+TB to HOU

[Mavs2021]

Doncic/Dinwiddie/Ntilikina
Brunson/THJ/X
DFS/Bullock/Green
Wood/Kleber/Bertans
Powell/X/X

Suddenly the place is a lot less crowded. The cleanout was very impressive and no additional long-term salary. Nico is learning on the fly. He´s cleaning out some old mistakes, but also some of his own small mistakes (Brown/Chriss).

If Nico follow this up with

Ross + #32 + #35 for THJ
Draft Moore + Koloko/Kamagate
Sign Nurkic/Smith/Hartenstein

--> I give the off-season an A+

I think the trade is definitely much better than the Porzingis deal, but the follow-up moves will define this off-season.

[Tyler]

I just finished moving and have been unpacking all day. Exhausted, I fired up the internet to chill out. 

Hey look -- there's more Christian Wood trade ideas. It looks like people are spreading some made-up rumor. 

Man, this pipedream trade is really getting some traction.

Hold up -- Woj is reporting it?

IT'S REAL?

Nico is the freaking man!

[hakeemfaan]

Driving back and forth to Houston I kept hearing how he was poor on defense and also quit on the team. Unlike the Dinwiddie situation with Beal, Houston was hoping Wood would guide younger players. 

More than Wood being here , the expiring contract and moving four players who could not contribute at all is the better part. Plus this either keeps Maxi fresher or makes him a trade asset. Let’s see what other moves the team makes.

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/All_Things_Mavs/stat...4644220929

[Mavs2021]

The Sweeney connection makes me feel better about the potential chemistry issues.  I'm not a fan of Wood due to defensive limitations (and chemistry concerns) but this is a crazy good deal.  I can't believe nobody beat that offer.

That´s what many said, when we traded for Porzingis.

Wood has one year left on his deal. This is his 7th team NBA in six years and that´s not even counting all his G-League/SummerLeague stints with multiple other franchises, including the Mavs. Defensively suspect.

I assume some teams value late cost-controlled 1st rounders more, especially in such a flat draft class, where you have a chance to find a good player, if you nail the pick.

I hope the Mavs trade back into the early 2nd round (top 40) at least, to snatch one or two prospects for the opened up spots. It would be so boring to see cheerleader Pinson and somebody like Robin Lopez get these spots.

But given that Powell is now our only center, we have to use free agency (Hartenstein, Nurkic, Smith), trades or the draft to add at least two centers. I honestly wouldn´t be surprised, if Nico has already successful tampered with one of Hartenstein, Nurkic or Smith for the TP-MLE.

[ItsGoTime]

https://twitter.com/All_Things_Mavs/stat...2341618690

2.3 assists is pretty great. Get the blocks up to at least 1.5 and he’d be solid regardless of where his points land.

[Mavs2021]

Also full circle back to the 2015 draft, when he was projected as a 1st round pick and as he kept dropping, I was begging the Mavs to trade up. Then came the 52nd pick and he was till there, but....

[sefant]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/duncansmith...ee-agency/



Old article before free agency. Think that was lowkey his best year by far in the NBA. Will be interesting.

2. He May Be Better Than You Think

Christian Wood had a great season, but the words alone don’t really contextualize just how good he was. Even though he didn’t really separate himself until after Andre Drummond was moved at the trade deadline. He was quietly excellent for most of the season before that but truly broke out once the shackles came off.

In fact, Wood was so good that by most advanced metrics he was a top-25-to-30 player. While he averaged just 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, he was 24th in PIPM, 16th in real plus-minus, and somehow the dreadful Detroit Pistons actually had a +2.0 net rating when he played, and they were -8.4 when he was off.

It gets crazier. After Drummond was traded, the Pistons were -1.6 when Wood was on the floor and an abominable -28.9 when he was off.

Excluding garbage time, the Pistons actually had an 11.0 point swing per 100 possessions when he was on the floor. Considering how bad they were for most of the year and the constant roster fluctuations due to injuries they endured, Wood’s on-court results are startling and worth a closer look.

He was in the 87th percentile as a spot-up shooter, the 96th percentile as the pick-and-roll man, he was in the 91st percentile on all jump shots and he was in the 97th percentile around the basket in all non-post up situations.

Wood’s playmaking and defense leave plenty to be desired, but if this season is any indication he’s one of the better scorers in the NBA.

[MFFL]

Also full circle back to the 2015 draft, when he was projected as a 1st round pick and as he kept dropping, I was begging the Mavs to trade up. Then came the 52nd pick and he was till there, but....

Wood wasn't ready back then. I just read up on the article about him signing with Houston and his career up until then - it seemed that he had to hit rock bottom (getting cut by the Chinese team) before Wood took his career seriously

[KillerLeft]

I thought you were on Team Wood with me in 2020??

I was. And I’m still intrigued. It’s just that some red flags have hit my radar since.

[Mavs2021]

I hope this silences the "Cuban is the real GM" crowd. 

Cuban is ALWAYS going to have input, but in Nico's tenure things are CLEARLY different.

Why?

This move is exactly something out of the Cuban playbook. He´d easily sign off on this deal.

1.) Trade a 1st round pick
2.)  For a veteran with a difficult character (Odom, Rondo, Wood, Porzingis?)
3.) Add in a few classic veterans that go directly into retirement, cause nobody else in the league values them even at the minimum.

The next steps wil determine whether something has truly changed.

---

Wood wasn't ready back then. I just read up on the article about him signing with Houston and his career up until then - it seemed that he had to hit rock bottom (getting cut by the Chinese team) before Wood took his career seriously

Probably, but you never know. Maybe his career takes a different trajectory. Maybe hard-ass Carlisle gets to him.

What we do know is that Singh was a waste of an opportunity. Singh is now a pro wrestler and even sucks at fake sports.

[mvossman]

That´s what many said, when we traded for Porzingis.

Wood has one year left on his deal. This is his 7th team NBA in six years and that´s not even counting all his G-League/SummerLeague stints with multiple other franchises, including the Mavs. Defensively suspect.

I assume some teams value late cost-controlled 1st rounders more, especially in such a flat draft class, where you have a chance to find a good player, if you nail the pick.

I hope the Mavs trade back into the early 2nd round (top 40) at least, to snatch one or two prospects for the opened up spots. It would be so boring to see cheerleader Pinson and somebody like Robin Lopez get these spots.

But given that Powell is now our only center, we have to use free agency (Hartenstein, Nurkic, Smith), trades or the draft to add at least two centers. I honestly wouldn´t be surprised, if Nico has already successful tampered with one of Hartenstein, Nurkic or Smith for the TP-MLE.

I'm not sure Powell is any more of a center than Wood or Maxi.  Wood is the better rebounder and rim protector.  I'm guessing Wood plays the majority of his minutes at center and Maxi could go either way depending on what else they do.

[loki]

That´s what many said, when we traded for Porzingis.

Fortunately we don't have to give Wood a 5 year max contract coming off an ACL tear before he even steps on the floor. This trade is the kind of risk I can live with. Even if it completely fails I don't think I'll be able to criticize the decision.

[Mavs2021]

I'm not sure Powell is any more of a center than Wood or Maxi.  Wood is the better rebounder and shot blocker.  I'm guessing Wood plays the majority of his minutes at center and Maxi could go either way depending on what else they do.

Let´s say their best position is PF, so I listed them there. I assume for Nico Powell´s best position is UE (unemployed) rather than C. Therefore we will add two bigs one way or the other.

I guess THJ/Powell will be on the trading block next with Indiana + Orlando + Sacramento the main destinations. They have capspace, early 2nd round picks and centers.

[Mavs2021]

Fortunately we don't have to give Wood a 5 year max contract coming off an ACL tear before he even steps on the floor. This trade is the kind of risk I can live with. Even if it completely fails I don't think I'll be able to criticize the decision.

I wasn´t criticizing the trade. I like this trade a lot more than either Porzingis trade.

Just sometimes you also need to look at the other side of the trade. What could have motivated the Knicks or Rockets to do the deal. Character and health are usually the parts, where the other side has much better information. The on-court basketball product is much easier to analyze than the off-court human product.

[mvossman]

Let´s say their best position is PF, so I listed them there. I assume for Nico Powell´s best position is UE (unemployed) rather than C. Therefore we will add two bigs one way or the other.

I guess THJ/Powell will be on the trading block next with Indiana + Orlando + Sacramento the main destinations. They have capspace, early 2nd round picks and centers.

Given Kidd's leaning towards single big mobile defenses, I'm not sure he will be looking to put Wood at the PF spot.  I think pairing him with a center takes away some of his offensive value with someone clogging up the lane, and one of his biggest pluses is that you can play 5 out with him at center.  I'm sure they will add a vet min center, but in my mind their remaining assets should focus on a 3&D big wing.

[Jmaciscool]

Feels like if this trade had happened under the old regime it would have been giving up 26, a pair of future 2nds, and Bullock.

Instead it's only 26 and some junk Nico found while cleaning the basement.

[fifteenth]

I heart Nico

[KillerLeft]

Wood is absolutely 100% a center. I doubt he’ll play one single minute at the 4

This was INSTEAD of Turner, Smith, Gobert, etc. I still like it, but that’s the situation.

[Mavs2021]

Feels like if this trade had happened under the old regime it would have been giving up 26, a pair of future 2nds, and Bullock.

Instead it's only 26 and some junk Nico found while cleaning the basement.

Fair point.