Rockets consider Christian Wood their only ‘untouchable’ in trade talks
Not only is Christian Wood the best player on the Houston Rockets, but at 25 years old, he’s also one of the youngest among rotation players.
Understandably, that makes him extremely valuable to general manager Rafael Stone — both for this season and well beyond. (Wood is currently under contract through the 2022-23 season.)
As a result, Wood is considered Houston’s only “untouchable” player in trade talks leading up to this season’s March 25 deadline, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In his story, Scotto elaborates:
Several executives around the league who spoke with HoopsHype believe Rockets guard Victor Oladipo could be the biggest name moved by the trade deadline. He’s been linked to the Knicks and Heat most notably.
With Oladipo approaching 29 and nearing unrestricted free agency this summer, he’s not a fit for Houston’s rebuilding plan. Upon arriving in Houston, Oladipo said, “Essentially, it’s like a business plan. You’ve got to go through every aspect of the business plan before you kind of figure out if you want to invest in it.”
Those executives who’ve spoken to the Rockets say Christian Wood is the only player on the Rockets that’s as close to untouchable as possible.
NBA executives who’ve spoken to Houston say Christian Wood is the only Rockets player that’s basically untouchable. The Timberwolves have gotten calls on several of their veterans, including Ricky Rubio, leading up to the trade deadline. More on @hoopshype https://t.co/wGYNAHpn8W
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 14, 2021
Wood is averaging 22.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game during the 2020-21 season. In a breakout year that has earned the 6-foot-10 big man consideration for both the All-Star Game and Olympics, he’s shooting 55.8% overall and 42.1% on 3-pointers.
But Wood has missed the last 14 games with a sprained right ankle, and Houston (11-25) is winless over that period. As a result, with the 2021 playoffs becoming increasingly unrealistic, the organization appears to be shifting its focus to future seasons. That’s especially the case with veterans on expiring contracts like Oladipo, PJ Tucker, Sterling Brown, and Ben McLemore, since they can potentially leave the Rockets for no compensation in offseason free agency. Thus, with 2020-21 becoming less of a priority, there’s little reason for the team to take that risk.
Even beyond players on expiring contracts, though, Houston would likely consider any proposal that potentially improves its outlook for future seasons. Wood is the lone exception, based on his combination of age, production, and contract — which fits with the Rockets for years to come.
