The Golden State Warriors are still sifting through available options before they make two more roster additions following the Jimmy Butler acquisition last week.
Despite signing impressive rookie Quinten Post to a standard contract in the immediate aftermath of the blockbuster trade, there are still suggestions that the Warriors could look to fortify their center position with another veteran option.
The Warriors should steer clear of a former Lakers big man
Golden State's big man rotation actually looks fairly healthy compared to some other close rivals, including the Los Angeles Lakers who are now left out in the dark after they rescinded their trade for Mark Williams over physical concerns.
The Lakers have been left with Jaxson Hayes as their primary center following their decision to trade Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, but they did make an intriguing move in flipping veteran centers on Tuesday.
Los Angeles waived talented but injury-plagued big man Christian Wood, opening up the roster flexibility to sign Alex Len after the 31-year-old was waived by the Washington Wizards following the trade deadline.
It leaves Wood's career in a perilous position, having not played this season due to knee surgery in September. The 29-year-old's numbers are actually quite productive and attractive, particularly to a team like the Warriors whose offense has been rejuvenated by Post's skillset as a stretch big.
Wood averages 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds for his career, shooting 51.4% from the floor and 37.2% from 3-point range. He's twice received votes for Sixth Man of the Year, including recently in the 2022-23 season with the Dallas Mavericks where he averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Yet despite those numbers, Wood isn't the player Golden State should be taking a gamble on with one of their last two roster positions. The current injury concerns are the first issue, with no real update on when Wood will actually be available outside his own recent cryptic post.
Progressing.. I’ll be back soon .
— 35 (@Chriswood_5) February 11, 2025
It doesn't say much about Wood's short-term outlook if the Lakers are waiving him, especially to bring in Len who averaged just 2.0 points in 7.8 minutes over the last three seasons with the Sacramento Kings.
Even if Wood was healthy, his reputation as an empty stats player is hard to ignore. That's evident in the fact he's never been on a playoff team, while there's also been question marks on his work ethic and fit within a locker room.
Wood has the talent to get another opportunity in the league, and perhaps it could be with Golden State in an offseason move where they can better evaluate his health. For now though the Warriors seem to have a good thing rolling since Butler's arrival, and subsequently adding a player that comes with multiple risks probably isn't worth the gamble.