NBA Rumors: Dallas Mavericks not planning to bring Christian Wood back
Christian Wood has been great for the Dallas Mavericks this season. The 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 16.6 points on 51.5% shooting, as well as 7.3 rebounds per game. However, it doesn't appear that the team will give him another contract.
Wood's contract is coming to an end, and he will hit free agency this summer. According to Marc Stein, the Western Conference team has no interest in bringing back the 27-year-old star.
The Mavericks have dealt with a lot of problems this season and will have to make some tough decisions in free agency. Unfortunately, for Wood, it appears that he is the odd man out.
Christian Wood appeared in 67 games for the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks acquired Christian Wood in the summer of 2022. They sent five players to the Houston Rockets for him, hoping that he'd improve the team and help them have another deep playoff run.
The Mavs were one of the best teams earlier in the season and were fourth in the Western Conference before the trade deadline. However, they have since collapsed and finished the season with the fifth-worst record in the conference.
Christian Wood is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Mavericks. Earlier in the season, it was reported that the team was not interested in extending Wood's contract for more than two years.
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The big man can sign an extension of up to four years that is worth around $77 million. However, it appears that Mark Cuban wants a lot of cap space heading into 2025 free agency, which is why a long-term extension was never an option for Dallas.
Wood is currently paid $14.3 million and there is no doubt that he's worth every penny. He's a talented player who can rebound, score and stretch the floor, which is why many teams could go after him this summer.
Mark Cuban says re-signing Kyrie Irving is the Mavs’ top summer priority.
Christian Wood? “I’m not going to go through individual players,” Cuban said.
Besides Stein's report, Cuban has also implied that he has no interest in bringing Christian Wood back. While the big man certainly has flaws in his game, such as a below-average defense, it will be interesting to see who the Mavs replace him with.
While it's almost certain that the seven-year NBA veteran won't return to Dallas, the team will likely re-sign Kyrie Irving.
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Luka Doncic is one of the best NBA players, but he may demand a trade if the Mavericks don't surround him with great role players. However, this process might take much longer as the Doncic-Irving duo might need another star player.