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The Dallas Mavericks 2021-22 season was very encouraging for the franchise and its fans. They were expected to be a playoff team in the Western Conference, but not many people thought they would make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Even though they were outplayed by the Golden State Warriors, who eventually went on to win the Finals, the 2021-22 season was a success for the Mavs.
The 2022 NBA offseason has been a bit tricky for Dallas so far, though. After watching Jalen Brunson burst onto the scene in the opening round against the Utah Jazz, the Mavs ended up losing him to the New York Knicks in free agency. It's a tough pill to swallow considering how close the Mavericks were to reaching the Finals, and replacing his offensive production is going to be difficult.
Luckily, Dallas' front office was one step ahead of Brunson, and pulled off a big trade shortly after the end of the 2022 Finals to replace Brunson's lost production. This big trade will easily go down as the best move of the 2022 offseason for the Mavs, and could help them overcome their Western Conference opponents next season.
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Dallas Mavericks best offseason move: trading for Christian Wood
Christian Wood has bounced around the NBA a lot early in his career. The Mavericks will already be the seventh team he's been apart of, and this is only going to be his seventh season in the league. That little stat shouldn't distract you from the fact that Wood has developed into a really solid big man who should be the perfect complement alongside Luka Doncic in Dallas' offense.
Wood has spent the past two seasons on some pretty bad Houston Rockets teams, and the Rockets decided that rather than waste Wood's talent, they would flip him for some assets this offseason. The Mavericks sent a haul that included Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Sterling Brown, and the draft rights to Wendell Moore Jr., who was the 26th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft.
That seems like a lot for just Wood, but none of those guys were huge members of Dallas' rotation last season. Moore is probably the most valuable piece of the haul the Rockets got because of the potential he has. And in return, the Mavs got the big man they were missing for most of last season.
The Mavericks gave up on the Doncic/Kristaps Porzingis experiment last season when they sent Porzingis to the Washington Wizards, and it was reasonable to expect them to look for a new big man to run alongside Doncic this offseason. Christian Wood profiles as a smooth fit alongside Doncic that will help keep Dallas' offense in rhythm.
Wood used his time in Houston to help him develop into a very solid player. He's a talented scorer in the paint, and his shooting has improved dramatically in recent years. Wood shot a career high 39 percent from behind the arc last season, and that floor-spacing from the center position should allow Doncic more space on offense to do as he pleases.
During their playoff run, Dallas relied heavily on Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber as their big man duo. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but it eventually became a problem when they ran into the Warriors in the Western Finals.
Having Wood gives the Mavericks a true center. Wood has continually gotten better as a rebounder throughout his career, and he averaged a career-high 10.1 boards per game last season. Combine that with his 17.9 points per game, and Wood is a double-double threat on a nightly basis.
The rebounding improvement highlights how Wood has continually improved as a defender throughout his career. Wood's not going to rack up a million blocks in the paint like other big men, but he's agile enough to switch onto guards when he has too, which is a huge plus for Dallas. The Mavericks quietly had a really strong defensive group last season, and adding Wood ensures they will only get better next season.
As mentioned before, losing Brunson in free agency hurts, but his fit alongside Doncic was never truly going to work. Brunson proved he has what it takes to lead an offense, but he was never going to get a shot to do that in Dallas with Doncic on the roster. He struggled down the stretch when he was asked to play in his usual off-ball capacity, and it wasn't a surprise to see him depart for the Knicks in hopes he could be their starting point guard.
Wood is a better fit in that he won't require the ball as much as Brunson. He won't steal shots from Doncic, and he can be involved in plays that help Doncic get open more. Whether it be as a screener on a pick-and-roll, or sitting at the top of the key as a three-point threat, Wood should prove to be the perfect partner-in-crime for Doncic.
Dallas addressed their biggest weakness by going out and acquiring Christian Wood, which is why it's clear this has been their best move of the offseason. If they can pick up where they left off last season, the Mavs will once again be one of the biggest threats to win it all out of the Western Conference.