Golden State Warriors: Christian Wood could sign for MLE

It’s possible the Golden State Warriors could walk away from free agency with an absolute steal by signing Christian Wood for the mid-level exception.

With the 2019-20 NBA season officially wrapped up, we can now look ahead to the upcoming free agency period and all of the potential targets the Golden State Warriors should be after. One player who has emerged as someone the Dubs should consider is Christian Wood.

Wood had a breakout season with the Detroit Pistons in which he averaged a career-high 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds on above 55 percent shooting from the field. The lanky forward was a beast on both ends of the floor, increasing his averages to 22.3 points and 9.3 rebounds following the Andre Drummond trade that opened up more playing time for him.

While it felt evident that the 24-year-old would have earned himself a massive contract moving forward – sources such as Bobby Marks (subscription required) are now stating that Wood might be available for the mid-level exception with various teams across the league.

This is because, in light of the shortened season and uncertain circumstances moving forward, the free agency market will be less lucrative than usual. Players like Wood might be encouraged to sign brief one-year deals before testing the water again next season for a bigger deal.

The Warriors should be ecstatic to hear this news and gearing up for a plan to target Wood and other names like Danilo Gallinari – who have already expressed interest in signing for the MLE. Wood can bring a ton of versatility to the Dubs’ rotation and improve their defense with his 6’10” frame and 7’3″ wingspan.

There is one problem, however. Marks listed Wood’s value at around $9 million dollars – slightly more than the $6 million dollars the Warriors will have available through their mid-level exception. This means it would take a bit of negotiating to convince Woods to sign for even less than he was already expecting after such a great season in Detroit.