Dallas Mavericks forward Christian Wood is playing some of the best basketball of his career. But with just one year remaining on his contract, he is reportedly yet to begin contract talks with the team.
It now appears that the arrival of star point guard Kyrie Irving is what is halting any extension talks between Christian Wood and the team. Wood’s future with the team could very well come down to if Irving chooses to return next season.
According to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, the Mavericks have still not offered Christian Wood an extension.
“A person familiar with negotiations confirmed Dallas’ front office has not offered Wood a contract extension, despite recent national reporting to the contrary. Doing so would appear unlikely to benefit the Mavericks’ roster-building flexibility as they evaluate long-term prospects with the controversy-ridden Irving,” wrote Caplan.
Caplan then added, “Offering Wood an extension before then would cut into that potential cap space before the Mavericks could gain clarity with Irving or evaluate how Wood’s standout regular-season production so far translates, particularly on defense, in what should be his first career playoff run this spring.”
Bringing Irving back will likely be at the top of the Mavericks to-do list. With him set to be an unrestricted free agent at the season's end, they are looking to be a contender. Having him alongside the face of the franchise in Luka Doncic should make them one. It appears that Wood and the team won’t reach a new deal until the team knows what will happen with the point guard.
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