Lakers signing Christian Wood inadvertently kills Damian Lillard trade
By Jason Reed
Late Tuesday night ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Los Angeles Lakers signed big man Christian Wood to a two-year contract with a player option in the second year. This culminated a weeks-long search for the purple and gold to fill the 14th spot on the roster.
Wood is a polarizing figure who undoubtedly has offensive potential but also has drawbacks in his game that will have to be monitored in LA. With the status of the center market, and the team needed a stretch-five, there weren’t many other options that made sense for the Lake Show.
Signing Wood always seemed like the most logical next step for the team. The delay in getting a deal done was likely on Wood’s side as the big understandably was likely expecting more than a minimum contract.
Not only that, but Wood may have been waiting for a very specific team. Earlier this offseason it was reported that Wood was interested in a role with the Miami Heat depending on what players were traded to Portland in a potential Damian Lillard trade. In theory, a Lillard trade would have opened a lot of playing time in Miami’s frontcourt.
Christian Wood signing with the Lakers may signal that the Damian Lillard trade is dead (for now).
A potential Lillard blockbuster has been the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason. While the story has since lost steam as we head into the fall, blockbuster NBA trades can happen at any notice. Fans of both the Blazers and Heat have been patiently waiting to see if something would actually happen.
Wood finally caving and signing a two-year deal with Los Angeles may indicate that he knows something the public doesn’t know: that there won’t be a Lillard trade before the season. After all, that has felt like the most likely scenario with Lillard trying to force his way to one team that doesn’t have much to offer.
Agents throughout the league talk and they have a good feel for what is happening throughout the league. It probably isn’t a coincidence that minutes after the Wood signing was reported, Wojnarowski also reported that Danny Green signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Those feel like two veterans who were potentially on the Heat’s radar for depth purposes if they traded pieces away for Lillard.
Thus, it is safe to say that Lillard will at least start the 2023-24 season with the Trail Blazers.