Christian Wood Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: DeRozan, Gasol’s Homecoming, Wood, KP

January 9th, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Spurs wing DeMar DeRozan has added a three-point shot and built upon his passing game this year, all while taking a step back from lead ball-handling duties, according to Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer. In his 12th NBA season, DeRozan is shooting a career-best 42.9% from deep on 2.6 attempts per contest, while averaging a career-high 7.3 assists per game.

Tjarks notes that DeRozan is averaging 10 fewer touches a game this season than young Spurs guard Dejounte Murray. DeRozan has also closed games as a small-ball power forward, carrying over a sped-up, shooting-heavy offensive approach that coach Gregg Popovich first implemented during the 2019/20 season restart in Orlando.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

New Lakers center Marc Gasol, a three-time All-Star and the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year with the Grizzlies, had an interesting homecoming experience during a 108-94 defeat of Memphis this week, per Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Facing a FedExForum arena bereft of fans due to a raging pandemic, the 35-year-old big man noted that, “In your mind,” Gasol said, “the stands also are full.” Though Gasol was traded to the Raptors during the 2018/19 season en route to a title with Toronto, this marked his first game back at the arena where he became a star.
New Rockets star center Christian Wood struggled with going undrafted out of UNLV in 2015 and being waived by several NBA clubs before getting the security of the three-year, $41MM contract he signed with Houston during the 2020 offseason, as Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated details. “It showed me how hard I worked and how far I came from going from a minimum and non-guaranteed contract to being waived a number of times that I couldn’t even tell you,” Wood said.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has suggested that starting center Kristaps Porzingis could be close to his return for Dallas, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Carlisle indicated that Porzingis could return approximately a week from now “if all things continue to go well.”

Rockets Notes: Wood, Harden, McLemore, Martin, House, More

January 5th, 2021 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

New Rockets center Christian Wood has been a revelation on offense in Houston so far, but in order to maximize his overall impact, he needs to become a more consistently reliable rim protector, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes.

“For us to be a great defense, it’s all about protection in the paint, protecting that rim,” Eric Gordon said on Monday. “If guards come down and they have to think about scoring over Christian Wood, that’s gonna help us.”

According to Iko, rebounding is also an area the Rockets will need to improve. When the team was playing micro-ball last season, its poor rebounding numbers were understandable, but those struggles have carried over to the early part of 2020/21, even with Wood and other big men now part of the rotation. Houston currently ranks 29th in rebounding percentage.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

While James Harden has made it clear that he wants to be traded out of Houston, he still has to prove what sort of sacrifices he’s willing to make if he wants to win a championship, writes Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. Some executives who spoke to Beck were skeptical that the former MVP would readily change his playing style to help a new team. “James is like Allen Iverson: He wants to win his way and put up historical numbers while he’s winning,” one veteran Eastern Conference executive said. “I would never question their desire to win, but they all want to win on their terms.”
Ben McLemore and KJ Martin, who were self-isolating after reportedly testing positive for COVID-19, have returned to the team but are focusing on improving their conditioning and aren’t traveling to Indiana for Wednesday’s game, says Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Danuel House, who continues to be nagged by a sore back, also won’t be with the club for that game.
In a separate article for The Houston Chronicle, Feigen takes a look at the strong start Sterling Brown has enjoyed after signing with the Rockets as a free agent in November.
Kelly Iko and Tim Cato of The Athletic revisit Stephen Silas‘ days as an assistant coach with the Mavericks and explore how that position helped prepare him for his first head coaching job in Houston.

Texas Notes: Burke, Spurs, KP, Wood

December 29th, 2020 at 7:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Mavericks reserve point guard Trey Burke has dealt with a variety of ups and downs in 2020, writes Dwain Price of Mavericks.com. Burke’s year had an ignominious start when the Sixers waived him before the coronavirus pandemic caused a 2019/20 season pause.

Burke was then dealt a blow when he contracted the COVID-19 before the 2019/20 NBA season restart. “Everyone knows about the corona situation – me coming down with corona and getting through that and getting to Orlando and helping the team produce,” Burke said. His subsequent performance in the Orlando restart for the Mavericks earned him a three-year, $9.45MM deal in the 2020 offseason.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

The Spurs have announced in a press release that they will keep fans out of the AT&T Center for the foreseeable future this season. “While we are confident in the plans and protocols we have in place, we are uncomfortable hosting fans at this moment as the COVID-19 numbers and data in our community continue to trend in the wrong direction,” team president R.C. Buford said in the statement.
Center Kristaps Porzingis took part in his first full-contact Mavericks team practice since an October right knee lateral meniscus surgery, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Head coach Rick Carlisle expects that Porzingis will likely return to the court for Dallas in January. “Sometime in the next couple of weeks isn’t far-fetched,” Carlisle said.
Despite an 0-2 start and some off-court pathos, new Rockets big man Christian Wood has impressed new head coach Stephen Silas thus far, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “Still trying to find his way, and we have to make sure he’s rolling and popping at the right time,” Silas said. “He started off really good hitting those three 3s early, but he’s got a little ways to go as well. We all do.” Wood is currently averaging 27.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG in 40.0 MPG for a depleted Rockets squad. He also has a stellar shooting line of .548/.571/.667.

Western Notes: Wood, Beasley, Pelicans, Suns Arena

December 18th, 2020 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Christian Wood made an impressive preseason debut for the Rockets after missing three games with a sore elbow, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Wood racked up 27 points with 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes. Wood was acquired in a sign-and-trade from the Pistons after agreeing to a three-year, $41MM contract. “It’s one game. It’s preseason. But I left it all out there,” he said. “I felt like I was playing hard. We just have to keep it up.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

Malik Beasley should be available for the Timberwolves’ regular-season opener on Wednesday despite his impending court case, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. A court hearing scheduled for this week has been moved to next week and it doesn’t appear the NBA will take any action until the case is settled, Wolfson adds. Beasley faces a pair of felony charges related to a late September arrest for drug possession and threats of violence.
The Pelicans will allow approximately 750 fans at home games as the start of the season, the team announced in a press release. Fans will not be allowed to sit within 30 feet of the court. In addition, a limited number of tickets to satisfy player, team and other required NBA obligations was also approved.
The Suns have completed 80 percent of their renovations to their arena, according to Kellan Olson of the Arizona Republic. The franchise will able to finish the renovations during the offseason and the building won’t have be to closed next summer, as previously planned.

Rockets Notes: Clemons, Wall, Cousins, Wood, Harden, JVG

December 17th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A few of Chris Clemons‘ Rockets teammates know exactly what the second-year guard is going through, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Like Clemons, who tore his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and David Nwaba have all had to attempt to make their way back to full health after suffering a torn Achilles.

“I spoke with him last night after the game,” Cousins said. “My only message was just take your time. One thing I noticed with professional athletes and injuries, we love our craft, we love the game itself. Once you have tough off, you’re always itching to get back and play that game.

“… We’re so used to playing through pain. Sometimes, we feel like we’re in a good place when it’s not necessarily the case. My only message is take his time, get everything right, he has a lot of basketball left to play in his career.”

The only silver lining of the injury for Clemons is that he’ll now be assured of his $1.52MM salary for 2020/21 — it was previously non-guaranteed. The Rockets, who are up against a hard cap, figure to keep Clemons on their roster since they don’t currently have the flexibility to replace him with a free agent if they cut him.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN details (via Twitter), Houston could attempt to make room for another player by trading Clemons (along with a second-round pick) to another club. If the Rockets are uninterested in such a move, they’ll likely have to waive either Gerald Green or Bruno Caboclo before the regular season begins in order to stay below the hard cap.

Here’s more from out of Houston:

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins will sit out the Rockets’ preseason finale on Thursday vs. San Antonio, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The club is handling both players carefully, since they’re coming off major injuries. Meanwhile, Christian Wood – who missed Houston’s first three preseason contests with a sore left elbow – is considered questionable to play.
It’s a bit of a worrisome sign that James Harden said during his media session on Wednesday that he hasn’t had a conversation at all with new Rockets GM Rafael Stone, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Even if Harden remains dead-set on being traded, a deal of that magnitude will require some communication between the superstar guard and the Rockets’ head of basketball operations, Iko says.
Sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post that Jeff Van Gundy probably could have had the Rockets’ head coaching job this offseason, but “was indifferent toward it.” Van Gundy was said to be owner Tilman Fertitta‘s top choice, though it seemed as if the team’s front office and players preferred other candidates. Either way, Van Gundy sounds happy with his current job, telling Berman that he’s “real fortunate to be able to work at ESPN/ABC.”

Southwest Notes: Wood, Ingram, Bane, Tripp

November 28th, 2020 at 7:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Of all the free agents who signed this offseason, no one had a more difficult path to a big-money deal than Christian Wood, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Wood went undrafted out of college, played for five NBA teams and was waived in China before breaking through last season with the Pistons.

“Coming back from China (in 2017) and going into the G League, I knew I had to step up,” Wood said. “I actually got cut from that China team. They said I wasn’t good enough at the time. That chip on my shoulder from me being undrafted and me being waived from there, I knew I had to change. It’s a journey I wouldn’t put anybody on. It’s a journey I learned a lot from to get to where I am now. I wouldn’t have asked for it to be any other way because it made me (get) to where I am now.”

Wood is reuniting with new Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, who was an assistant in Charlotte when Wood played there in 2016/17. He is looking forward to being part of Silas’ five-out offense, which requires big men who can shoot from the outside.

“I like to get out and run,” Wood said. “I know the Houston Rockets like to get out and run. The way James (Harden) and other guys play around him, I think I can be a great fit.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Brandon Ingram‘s new contract shows the Pelicans consider him as much a part of their future as Zion Williamson, notes William Guillory of The Athletic. Ingram signed the largest contract of the offseason, earning $158.25MM over the next five years.
Desmond Bane‘s deadly outside shot, along with his maturity and competitiveness, inspired the Grizzlies to trade up to the 30th pick, according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Bane averaged 13.6 PPG and shot 44.2% from beyond the arc last season at TCU. “He was a guy that kind of rose to the top because he fits so many things that we’re about here,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “He’s a playmaker and he’s unselfish. Those are big things we talked about being a together and unselfish team.”
The Grizzlies signed Pacific guard Jahlil Tripp to a training camp contract, the team announced on Twitter. Tripp won Defensive Player of the Year honors last season in the West Coast Conference.

Rockets, Pistons Complete Christian Wood Sign-And-Trade

November 24th, 2020 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

3:59pm: Bobby Marks of ESPN has the new protections on the Pistons’ first-round pick being sent to Houston in the deal. According to Marks (Twitter link), it’s top-16 protected in 2021 and 2022, top-18 in ’23 and ’24, top-13 in ’25, top-11 in ’26, and top-nine in ’27. If it still hasn’t changed hands by that point, the Rockets will get a 2027 second-round pick.

3:38pm: The Pistons and Rockets each issued press releases today to formally announce that free agent big man Christian Wood has officially been sent to Houston in a sign-and-trade deal.

The move combines Wood’s deal with the Trevor Ariza trade the two teams originally agreed to last week. The end result is as follows:

Pistons acquire Ariza, the draft rights to Isaiah Stewart (the No. 16 pick in the draft), cash ($4.6MM), and a future Rockets second-round pick.
Rockets acquire Wood (via sign-and-trade), the Pistons’ 2021 first-round pick (heavily protected) and the Lakers’ 2021 second-round pick.

The Pistons’ and Rockets’ official announcements offer even fewer specifics than outlined above, so we’ll have to wait for clarification on the last few aspects of the deal, such as the future second-rounder going to Detroit and the protections on the first-round pick going to Houston.

That Pistons first-rounder was initially expected to be top-16 protected for four years, but Detroit reportedly increased the protections a little further when the team agreed to accommodate Wood’s sign-and-trade. The Rockets were unable to offer Wood his three-year, $41MM deal without the Pistons’ cooperation.

Now that this deal is complete, Ariza can be traded for the third time of the offseason. The veteran forward has already been sent from Portland to Houston to Detroit and will now be rerouted to Oklahoma City as part of a three-team trade involving the Pistons, Thunder, and Mavericks.

Meanwhile, the Rockets officially add one of the top free agents of this year’s class. Wood had a breakout year in 2019/20, though his full-season stats (13.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG) don’t tell the full story — after he entered the starting lineup following the Pistons’ Andre Drummond trade, he recorded 22.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 2.0 APG over his final 13 games.

Wood will join a Rockets squad that no longer seems intent on continuing the micro-ball experiment that they attempted last season after trading Clint Capela to Atlanta. Houston has also reached a deal to sign DeMarcus Cousins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Southwest Notes: Adams, Cousins, Wood, Haliburton, Covington

November 23rd, 2020 at 7:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder are trading center Steven Adams to the Pelicans and it isn’t the first time New Orleans tried to make that happen, ESPN’s Royce Young tweets. The Pelicans pursued an Adams trade last offseason when the Thunder shook up their roster by trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook but the teams couldn’t work out an agreement at that time.

We have more news from the Southwest Division:

A workout on Monday convinced the Rockets to sign DeMarcus Cousins, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Cousins’ workout squelched any concerns about Cousins’ health, Haynes adds. Cousins agreed to a non-guaranteed one-year deal.
The acquisition of Christian Wood should have a major impact on the retooled Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Wood, who’s headed to Houston on a sign-and-trade, should provide elite production in pick-and-rolls with two star play-makers setting him up. Wood’s perimeter shooting will facilitate the Rockets’ small lineups by provide spacing for Westbrook with his ability to attack closeouts off the dribble and finish, Feigen adds.
The Mavericks tried to trade up in the draft to land guard Tyrese Haliburton, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (hat tip to RealGM). Dallas attempted to trade multiple picks to lottery teams in the 7-11 range to make that move. Haliburton was ultimately selected at No. 12 by the Kings. The Mavs also tried to work out a deal with the Rockets for small forward Robert Covington, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, but Houston instead chose to deal him to the Trail Blazers.

Pistons Expected To Waive-And-Stretch Dedmon

November 21st, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 21: The Pistons likely won’t use the stretch provision on McGruder after all, according to Edwards (Twitter link). The team will save some money in its trade for Delon Wright and no longer needs the extra space that waiving and stretching McGruder would provide.

NOVEMBER 20: The Pistons have made a flurry of reported free agent moves and they’ll apparently clear cap space by using the waive-and-stretch provision on two recent acquisitions.

They’ll waive center Dewayne Dedmon and use the stretch provision to ease the cap hit, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). They’re likely to do the same with Rodney McGruder, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

Detroit officially acquired Dedmon from the Hawks on Friday in exchange for Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas. Dedmon was slated to make $13.33MM in the upcoming season with an identical contract number that was only guaranteed for $1MM for the 2021/22 season.

The Pistons acquired McGruder from the Clippers in a three-team trade that became official on Thursday. McGruder had a guaranteed $5.2MM contract for the upcoming season with a non-guaranteed salary of $5MM for 2021/22.

Those non-guaranteed years are significant because they allow Detroit’s front office use the stretch provision for five years instead of three, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report notes (Twitter links). Since only the guaranteed money counts, Dedmon would only count $2.9MM against the Pistons’ cap over the next five seasons, while the cap hit on McGruder would be just over $1MM in those years.

The Pistons made the trade with Atlanta because it allowed them stretch Dedmon’s contract over five years, rather than stretching Snell’s $12.2MM expiring contract for three years, Edwards tweets.

Those moves will allow Detroit to ink free agents Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee, as well as completing a sign-and-trade with Houston involving Christian Wood.

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Collins, Wall, Holiday, Pistons

November 20th, 2020 at 11:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks‘ deal with power forward Danilo Gallinari has raised some questions about John Collins‘ long-term fit in Atlanta. However, Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via Twitter) that the club is still hoping to get a rookie scale extension done with Collins this offseason. In other words, the addition of Gallinari doesn’t mean the Hawks don’t still consider Collins part of their future.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference on the first night of free agency:

In the wake of a report that Wizards point guard John Wall is seeking a trade out of Washington, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington reported earlier this week that Wall was “surprised” to hear GM Tommy Sheppard say that the franchise was building around Bradley Beal. Even if Sheppard’s comment didn’t directly lead to Wall’s apparent trade request, the timing is interesting.
Aaron Holiday has drawn frequent trade interest over the last two years, but the Pacers remain high on the 24-year-old guard, per J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), who hears that Holiday is “safe.” Holiday’s name came up in trade rumors involving Boston earlier today.
The Pistons didn’t want to go as high as Houston was willing to in order to re-sign Christian Wood (nearly $14MM per year), which was way the team shifted its focus to Jerami Grant, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).