The Houston Rockets just traded their leading scorer, Christian Wood, to the Dallas Mavericks. For some, this transaction might be surprising.
Wood, 26, is a versatile player who scores well as a rim runner and on pick and pop possessions. That makes him an ideal pick and roll partner for Luka Doncic in Dallas. He was the most productive rebounder and shot-blocker on the roster for the Rockets last season, too. So why would Houston’s front office decide it was time to move on from him?
Although he is on a fair contract relative to market value, Wood’s deal is set to expire at the end of the season. The organization clearly did not have much intention of re-signing him, so they were able to extract some value from his services rather than letting him walk for nothing.
