A majority of the NBA offseason has come and gone and the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster remains largely unchanged.
Despite being sent home in the first round last season, the only moves the Lakers have made were drafting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James to replace Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie, who departed in free agency.
The reason for that is the Lakers gave out a lot of player options in free agency last offseason, all of which wound up being picked up. The minimum players they signed last offseason mostly underperformed in 2023-24 so decided to remain with the team and pick up their options instead of testing free agency again.
One of those players is center Christian Wood, who was viewed as a nice addition for L.A. late last offseason. He had a number of suitors in free agency, which is why the Lakers gave him a player option for 2024-25 to get him to pick them.
Wood’s first season with the Lakers didn’t go as well as anyone had hoped though as his statistics dropped drastically. After averaging 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in the season prior with the Dallas Mavericks, the 28-year-old averaged just 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 50 games for the Lakers.
Wood found himself in and out of the rotation for most of the season and then missed the end of it due to a knee injury. He is expecting his second season with the Lakers to be a better one though, via ClutchPoints:
“I'm back yall ..and l'm coming back next season with a vengeance.”
Christian Wood sending a message to fans ahead of the 24/25 season ?
(via chriswood_5 / IG) pic.twitter.com/DAnTKLGkF8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 25, 2024
The backup center position is arguably the biggest question mark for the Lakers going into the year, so if Wood is able to bounce back then that would be a welcomed sight.
While Wood doesn’t have the ideal size for a center, his ability to space the floor and rebound makes him a nice complement to Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. He will again be battling Jaxson Hayes for playing time though, which should be a fun battle to watch during training camp.
Christian Wood vows to stay healthy for Lakers in 2024-25
How much Christian Wood will be able to contribute for the Lakers will depend on his health. After ending last season with a knee injury, Wood vowed to stay healthy for L.A. this year.
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