Christian Wood laughs off Jason Kidd's Mavs sixth man comments

Initially acquired to be a fixture of the Dallas Mavericks rotation, Christian Wood laughs off the role Jason Kidd suggested for 2022-23.

When Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd announced at the team's media day that Christian Wood was going to come off the bench in a “sixth man role,” it turned more than a few heads around the NBA world.

Initially acquired back in June for a package of Boban Marjanović, Trey Burke, Marquese Chriss, Sterling Brown, and a 2022 first-round pick that would eventually become Wendell Moore Jr., Wood looked destined to finally get to showcase his impressive two-way talents on a winning roster after wasting away in Houston during their post-Harden youth movement, and yet, there were troubling signs almost from the jump that drew that into question.

First came the decision to sign JaVale McGee to a three-year, $17.2 million deal in free agency. Like Wood, McGee is an athletic “move” center who can run the boards, set strong picks, and clean things up on the offensive and defensive glass. Then came the decision to give Maxi Kleber a new three-year, $33 million extension which will keep him on the roster until 2026. While neither of these moves directly impact Wood, as he's one of the most versatile bigs in the NBA who can play opposite a shooting power forward as a small-ball five or wait on the wings as a stretch four, it did raise a few eyebrows as to who would play where and for how long in any given game.

For now, Kidd has answered that question, and Wood made his voice heard in a succinct yet incendiary manner.