The Dallas Mavericks acquired Christian Wood to help fill the void Jalen Brunson's departure left in their roster alongside megastar Luka Doncic. However, despite playing well for the most part, Wood hasn't earned the full trust of the Mavs' coaching staff. Thus, Wood's uncertain Mavs role has led to questions about his impending free agency, but it seems as if the 6'10 big man is more than willing to stay in Dallas.
Nevertheless, despite Christian Wood's improved play as of late in his much-awaited promotion to the starting lineup, especially during the Mavs' rousing Christmas day win vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavs may still decide against giving their marquee offseason acquisition a contract extension, per Marc Stein.
“Christian Wood's timing has been good. His best stretch as a Dallas Maverick, coinciding with a rash of injuries that led to his unexpected move into the starting lineup, materialized just as Wood became eligible on Christmas Eve for a four-year, $77 million contract extension,” Stein wrote (subscription required). “[However], the consistent signals emanating from Dallas leading up to this surge have suggested that an extension is unlikely.”
Wood signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Houston Rockets before the 2020-21 season, so the aforementioned extension above represents a pay raise for the undrafted forward. Nevertheless, with Wood only being 27 years old, he may also hold out for a larger contract should he reach free agency, which appears to be the likely outcome given the Mavs' unwillingness to offer him an extension.
Still, the Mavs' avenues of improving their roster seem around Luka Doncic appear limited. As things currently stand, the Mavs are already $45 million above the salary cap. Their shrewdest move may be to bring back Christian Wood. Alas, only time will tell how things shake up for Wood and the Mavs.
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