Christian Wood reportedly agrees to a two-year contract with the Lakers

Christian Wood leaves from Dallas.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Wood agreed to a two-year contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Wood was traded to Dallas last summer for the final year of his three-year, $41 million deal. He should be a big boost for the Mavericks, who were in a big way advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

While Wood had his moments, the season was disappointing for just about everyone in Dallas. The Mavericks went 38-44 and missed the playoffs. Wood averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, both fewer than during his 2021–22 season in Houston, and started 17 games. He shot 51% from the field.

Dallas was the seventh team Wood played for in the league. The 27-year-old started out with the Philadelphia 76ers after retiring from UNLV in 2015, and went on to play stints with Charlotte, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Detroit and Houston. The Rockets were the only team he played for more than one season.

Wood has attracted significant interest in free agency, especially due to rumors that the Mavericks were ready to move on. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Miami Heat had Wood on their radar ever since they fell to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

Despite the disappointing run in Dallas, Wood is still a solid center, shooting nearly 38% from behind the arc throughout his career. His versatility allows him to make a solid impact for any team that needs to add depth. Just because it didn’t work out alongside Luka Dončić, and it took him much longer than the rest of the free agency class this summer, doesn’t mean it won’t work elsewhere.