Houston’s Christian Wood could be a Raptors trade target

The Toronto Raptors could use a frontcourt player the likes of Christian Wood of the Houston Rockets. As it turns out, the Rockets may make Wood available, per Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer. Toronto management is in love with the philosophy of small ball, so much so that they created a roster devoid of traditional size.

The Raptors have Khem Birch and Precious Achiuwa available to play the center position, but both give up size and girth to bigger opponents in that matchup. Further, both have suffered injuries already this season meaning other undersized players like Pascal Siakam and Chris Boucher have been forced to step in.

The Raptors now find themselves ranked near the bottom of the league in several key rebounding categories, and it’s been hard to get a ton of offensive consistency. A playmaker like Wood down low would be an invaluable asset to lean on.

There are several ways Christian Wood would be an ideal big man to aid the Raptors in their journey to contending for a playoff spot this season. If Masai Ujiri gets really bold and decides to give up some future assets in order to land a long-term contributor, he could grab Wood away from a rebuilding Rockets team.

The Toronto Raptors could use someone like Christian Wood.

His story is similar to key Raptors’ players like Fred VanVleet. A former undrafted free agent who played for four teams by 2020, Wood began to establish himself as a coveted player in the NBA.

Wood was with the Detroit Pistons when he averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He traded that performance in for a three-year, $41 million deal to play for the Rockets before the mess that developed with James Harden. In an interview with The Undefeated, Wood stated:

"“The long-term contract meant a lot to me,” Wood, 25, told The Undefeated in a phone interview on Sunday. “It showed me how hard I worked and how far I came from going from a minimum and non-guaranteed contract to being waived a number of times that I couldn’t even tell you to signing three years, $41 million. It’s incredible."

After a draft-day haul in 2021 with Houston acquiring Turkish star Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and No. 2 pick Jalen Green in the first-round, Wood could be flipped elsewhere as Houston looks to lean onto the tank.

The best thing about Wood is at $13.6 million and $14.3 million for next season, his contract is reasonable. Toronto could move Boucher, Goran Dragic (who could be rerouted elsewhere), and multiple top draft picks to acquire him. Houston will likely be enticed by draft picks, but won’t simply give Wood away.

How would Christian Wood help the Toronto Raptors?

The former UNLV Runnin’ Rebel would provide the Raptors with many things their frontcourt lacks. He would be much more than a depth acquisition, as he is Houston’s best scorer at the moment at 16 points per game.

His double-double capabilities are also impressive as he would bring much-needed rebounding to the Raptors especially at the defensive end of the floor. At the moment, Wood is averaging 11.2 rebounds per game, but 9.4 of those are at the defensive end of the floor. Right now, the best defensive rebounder on the Raptors is Achiuwa at 5.7 per game.

Toronto would also acquire a big who can knock down the three, score in the mid-range, is athletic, and can play above the rim but also run the floor.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1465535227011424256

Everything the Raptors want to do offensively is hampered by a lack of defensive rebounding. Acquiring a player like Wood would be a gargantuan step to fixing their stagnant offense.

It’s up to Toronto management. Bobby Webster and Masai Ujiri know the value of a big man with size, strength, and a high basketball IQ. They aided their team’s championship run, in 2019 by acquiring Marc Gasol. Since the 2020 off-season, their mindset regarding frontcourt players has seemingly changed.

Head coach Nick Nurse cannot course correct the team’s rebounding deficiencies, lack of three-point shooting, or inconsistent scoring in the paint if he has no one on the bench or starting lineup who can make a difference in these areas.

The time is now for Toronto management to make a move. Putting Wood in a Raptors’ uniform would be an ingenious transaction.