Free agent forward/center Christian Wood has agreed on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal includes a player option.
Wood, who turns 28 later this month, put up strong numbers for the Dallas Mavericks last season but played limited minutes as coach Jason Kidd never seemed to fully trust the talented big man. Wood averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.6% from 3 but started just 17 games and averaged just under 26 minutes.
Wood’s four 25-point, 10-rebound games off the bench in 2022-23 tied the most by any player in the past 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
An undrafted player out of UNLV, Wood has consistently produced on the offensive end of the floor but has been unable to stick with a team for more than two seasons; he’s played for six different franchises in his seven-year NBA career.
Wood’s ability to hit 3s and finish at the rim as a small-ball center makes him a dynamic talent on offense but Dallas struggled to defend last season when he was on the court.
The Mavericks acquired Wood from the Houston Rockets last summer in exchange for the 26th pick in the 2022 NBA draft, which became Wendell Moore Jr.
Wood made $14 million last season, the final year of a three-year deal he signed with Houston in 2020.
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