NBA Rumors: Christian Wood gains interest from Miami Heat amid Damian Lillard trade talks
Christian Wood is now one of the biggest names remaining on the free agency market, after his contract with the Dallas Mavericks expired.
Most NBA fans and analysts expected Wood to field numerous offers once the free agency period began in July, but those offers failed to materialize.
However, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who spoke on an August 11 episode of the Lakers Nation podcast, the Miami Heat could be interested in the offensive-minded big man.
"Christian Wood, from my understanding, is interested in a potential role in Miami. And depending on what players are involved in that trade [for Damian Lillard] from the Miami side. Nikola Jovic, I think is likely someone who would go to Portland or elsewhere.
"If they don't [add Jusuf Nurkic] and they get rid of Jovic, now you're looking at 'ok, we have three bigs we trust. Can Wood come in and outplay Kevin Love and Thomas Bryant?' Which I don't think is that unrealistic for him, to come in and play a big role there."
Wood entered the offseason on the back of a disappointing year with the Dallas Mavericks, which saw him bounce in and out of the team's rotation.
While Wood's offensive skillset is undeniable, his defense leaves a lot to be desired. That lack of defense has been Wood's downfall when trying to earn consistent minutes on a Mavericks team that's trying to contend in the Western Conference.
Christian Wood's future could rely on a Damian Lillard trade
According to a league executive who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy on Sports, Christian Wood's future could hinge on whether the Miami Heat acquire Damian Lillard via a trade.
Should Miami land Lillard, they could potentially open up some cap space to sign Christian Wood to a deal above the veteran minimum. However, if Lillard remains with the Portland Trail Blazers or is sent elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers could be the likely landing spot for Christian Wood.
“There is no reason for him to hurry, the roster spots are there and unless there is a chance the Lakers make a move to sign someone else, why not wait to see if something better becomes available?” The league source told Deveney.
“What if Miami makes the (Damian) Lillard trade and winds up with a little more (luxury-tax) space? They could make a better offer. Not a ton more, but it is not the minimum. That’s the wildcard for (Wood).”
Despite it being so late in the offseason, it's clear Christian Wood still has some options available to him. However, the floor-spacing big-man will likely remain a free agent until Lillard's future is resolved, or training camps begin to get underway - whichever comes first.