NBA Trade Rumors: Why LA Clippers need to prioritize signing Christian Wood

During the regular season, the LA Clippers relied on their second unit a lot for additional scoring punch. Both Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell duly delivered. However, the bench lacked defensive flavor and was caught out in the playoffs. Harrell is now a free agent and NBA trade rumors suggest the possibility of a sign-and-trade sending the Sixth Man of the Year elsewhere. In case the LA Clippers decide to take that route, they must target Detroit Pistons' Christian Wood.

CHRISTIAN WOOD ALL OVER RUDY GOBERT! pic.twitter.com/u8LfIrYNux

— Nick (@NicolasHenkel) March 8, 2020

Wood is out of a contract himself but the Pistons have enough cap space to match any offer from other teams. So the chances of signing the 6'10 forward in free agency remains bleak. A sign-and-trade remains the main possibility, but before delving into the possible deal, let's look at what Christian Wood brings to the table.

NBA Trade Rumors: Christian Wood could add extra layers to LA Clippers' second unit

Christian Wood in action for Detroit Pistons

Christian Wood was doing a decent job for the Detroit Pistons off the bench in the first half of the season off the bench. He played about 18 minutes a night while adding some scoring and rebounding into the mix. However, it was after Detroit traded Andre Drummond did he truly ball out.

In the 13 games he played after the NBA trade deadline, Christian Wood averaged 22.8 points and 9.9 rebounds on 56.2% shooting. His 40% accuracy from downtown on 4.2 attempts a night during this period suggests that he can stretch the floor too, something that Montrezl Harrell has failed to offer to the LA Clippers.

Christian Wood will be an improvement on Montrezl Harrell for LA Clippers

Montrezl Harrell

Montrezl Harrell is a traditional big in terms of his offensive skill set. Most of his scoring comes near the basket and at 6'7, he doesn't really enjoy a size advantage. But most importantly, he can be a downright liability on defense.

The Clippers finished the series with a +8.8 net rating with Montrezl Harrell off the floor against Denver. -11.7 with him on the floor.

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) September 16, 2020

In comparison, Christian Wood is a better rebounder, provides more variety on offense, and although he's not the greatest of defenders, he's not bad either.

Getting a deal done would be the hard part for the LA Clippers. Harrell doesn't really have the profile that the Detroit Pistons are looking for. He'll be looking to get paid after an impressive season while the Pistons would want to maintain their financial flexibility. Marcus Morris Sr. seems like a veteran who could interest them but LA Clippers would probably prefer to re-sign and keep hold of him.

The best way out possibly seems like getting a third team involved that would be willing to take Harrell in a sign-and-trade deal while offering the Detroit Pistons enough value for them to part ways with Christian Wood.

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