The Los Angeles Lakers may have had a better offseason than anyone, but it still feels like there's more work to be done. To that end, their rumored interest in — or perhaps even pursuit of — veteran big man Christian Wood is of particular interest.

Maybe the most talented free agent remaining on the market (Kelly Oubre Jr. being the other option), Wood has averaged 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game over the past three seasons while knocking down 38.1 percent of his long-range jumpers. In the Lakers pursuit of a championship, there are few players who move the needle more than he does, especially as L.A. doesn't yet know who will start beside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt next season.

With Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka looking to fill the 14th roster spot prior to the training camp, Wood “still seems like the top choice despite the defensive shortcomings and personality issues,” per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

As Woike alluded to, character concerns are among the main reasons that Wood remains available despite his talent level. A player with his scoring talents would have generated plenty of interest otherwise, perhaps even with defensive concerns. However, Wood — as well as a player like Oubre — could be waiting out the market to see if he can land a contract larger than the modest veteran's minimum.

After playing in Texas for the past three years, Wood may need to know when to fold 'em, but “the big question would be whether the Lakers' structure… could keep Wood focused on winning while eliminating some of his bad habits and overcoming some deficiencies,” Woike writes.

“…There’s at least some internal optimism that the Lakers could make it work…”