NBA rumors: The Los Angeles Lakers have already made some big moves in the offseason. As it turns out, however, they’re still not done. LA appears to still be in the market for a backup center ahead of the new season, and they reportedly have their eye on former Milwaukee Bucks big man Christian Wood.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Still Interested in Signing Christian Wood
This is far from the first time that Wood has been linked to the Lakers. After the Dallas Mavericks opted against offering the 6-foot-10 big man a new deal, Wood emerged as one of the biggest names in free agency. LA was one of the teams that emerged as a potential landing spot for the 27-year-old, and while there has been no movement on that end as of yet, NBA insider Marc Stein reports that a move to Hollywood for Wood is not yet dead:
“The Los Angeles Lakers ‘have maintained a level of interest in signing free agent big man Christian Wood,’ according to NBA reporter Marc Stein, though they are only capable of offering him a league minimum contract (h/t Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report). “
The big caveat here is that given LA’s salary cap restrictions, the best deal they can offer Wood is a veteran’s minimum deal. This is also probably why Wood has not signed a new deal from any other team (assuming that there is an offer out there), given that he’s still likely holding out hope that he can secure a bigger payday from another squad. Last season, Wood pocketed $14.3 million from the Mavs.
NBA Rumors: Could Bucks Reunite With Christian Wood?
Wood played just 13 games for the Bucks during the 2018-19 season before the team decided to waive his services. Could a reunion be in the books for the former UNLV standout?
Initially, we thought that the Bucks had no chance of signing Wood given how they too have some massive contracts on their payroll. However, now that a minimum contract is up for discussion, the Bucks could potentially make a move for Wood. That is, of course, under the assumption that they can see a role for him on the squad. It wouldn’t hurt for Milwaukee to add another frontcourt player to their rotation (although they will need to clear up a spot for him, if ever), and they could do much worse than Christian Wood.
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