Well, it finally happened.
After weeks of being rumored to have interest in Christian Wood and seemingly wavering on whether to sign him, the Los Angeles Lakers finally inked him to a two-year contract.
The Lakers were first rumored to be in pursuit of Wood several weeks ago. Movement was very slow on that front, even when it was reported they had internal optimism they could make him fit despite his flaws.
There were also rumors Wood preferred to join the Miami Heat, if the Heat ended up pulling off a trade for perennial All-Star Damian Lillard.
Instead, Wood will wear the Purple and Gold this season.
Free agent F/C Christian Wood has agreed on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Deal includes a player option.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2023
A 6-foot-9, 214-pound big man, Wood is a proven scorer. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds a game this past season with the Dallas Mavericks, and he has been a good 3-point shooter as well.
However, he has a reputation for being a porous defender, something that could be a problem for a Lakers team that has established a positive identity on the defensive end. Even worse, he reportedly has an inflated sense of self-importance, as one podcast host warned Lakers fans about.
In L.A., Wood will presumably be asked to play plenty of backup center, which is the one position weakness on the team’s roster. It remains to be seen if he will fully embrace head coach Darvin Ham’s commitment to winning with defense.