Summer has not yet arrived and the movements in the NBA have already begun.
The Dallas Mavericks have closed this morning the incorporation of Christian Wood, center who signs for one season and comes from Houston, where he has averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game this year.
In exchange, the Rockets receive Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss, four players who were just entering Jason Kidd's rotation, in addition to the 26th pick in the next
draft
, as reported by Shams Charania, a journalist for
The Athletic
.
Wood, 26, comes to the Mavericks after two good seasons in Houston, where he emerged as a franchise player for a team in full rebuilding after the departure of James Harden.
In his first year, the center born in Long Beach, California, averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game, generating a great impact since the beginning of the championship.
Now, two years later, the Rockets have changed their plans.
Wood's contract, which expired in 2023, was decisive for the franchise, immersed in a losing loop, to give all its hopes to the youngsters last summer – they brought in Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba. none above 20 years.
Now, after Wood's transfer, the Rockets will have picks 3, 17 and 26 in the next
draft
.
Dallas is in a very different battle.
Eliminated in the Western Conference finals at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, Mark Cuban's franchise continues in its eternal struggle to find the pieces that will escort Luka Doncic to the ring.
The Slovenian has averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists this season, but has found himself too lonely in the decisive moments of the
playoffs.
Now, with the addition of Wood, 2.11 meters, the Mavericks add an interior with potential in the paint, rebounding ability, intimidation under the rim, good blocking movement and great outside shooting (above 37 .4% during the last three seasons).
An important addition to Jason Kidd's board, forced to rub the lamp when Doncic has rested on the bench.
In addition to Wood, whose signing cannot be made official until June 23, the day of the
draft
, Dallas will have Tim Hardaway Jr. next season, an unprecedented player in these
playoffs
due to a foot injury that has dragged on since January.
With them in the rotation, the great objective of the franchise this summer is to close the renewal of Jalen Brunson, a fundamental piece in Jason Kidd's plans and the team's alma mater when Doncic was injured at the end of April.
With the departures of Burke, Brown, Chriss and Marjanovic -a great friend of the Slovenian in the locker room-, the Mavericks have created enough salary space to undertake the costly renewal of Brunson with certain guarantees.
Even so, it is not ruled out that the Mark Cuban franchise will continue to stir up the hornet's nest in the coming weeks, since, even with Brunson's hypothetical extension, the squad would still have three vacancies to fill before October, the month in which the season starts in the NBA.
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