This NBA season hasn’t gone well for the Dallas Mavericks. In fact, one could argue that it has been a complete failure and a cause for concern. As we all know, Luka Doncic and his squad made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last postseason.
Coached by Jason Kidd, they went much further than they had before in recent times. However, despite making several additions to their roster, they have fallen short of making the NBA playoffs this season and finished as the 11th seed.
Since the new trades didn’t work very well, the Mavericks are looking to move on from one of their recent additions. Let us take a closer look at which player this is and whether it is a good move by the Mavs.
Are the Dallas Mavericks done with Christian Wood?
One of the moves that Dallas made heading into this season was the acquisition of Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets. Many analysts opined that his presence would greatly strengthen the team’s interior defense abilities and presence.
However, Wood hasn’t lived up to those expectations. He averaged 21 points and 9.6 rebounds during the 2020-2021 NBA season with the Houston Rockets. However, these numbers have slipped down when he joined the Mavs. This season, he averaged only 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Although these numbers aren’t bad, Wood doesn’t play in the interior much since he is also quite proficient from the three-point line. Since he wasn’t able to do much to improve the Mavs’ defense, trade rumors are circulating that the team might be parting ways with him and that he is not expected to return next season. Especially since his contract has expired and he will be an unrestricted free agent this NBA offseason.
Christian Wood is not expected to return to the Mavericks, per @tim_cato
(Via https://t.co/84U48KNGtT) pic.twitter.com/nZMiL2SaGn
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 1, 2023
Some reports indicate that Deandre Ayton or Khris Middleton could be potential targets for the Mavericks. Ayton would certainly be a good move since he is a certified rim protector and NBA center However, nothing is certain at the moment.
Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton have been floated as possible targets for the Mavericks, per @tim_cato
(Via @TheAthleticNBA ) pic.twitter.com/FXYvxKB0Ue
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 1, 2023
We hope Dallas is able to recruit other star players in order to fill the void that will be left by Wood when he leaves to look for a new team.