Luka Doncic and LeBron James’ former teammate and ex-LA Lakers center Christian Wood announced that he had finally recovered from a knee injury that kept him out since Feb. 15, 2024. Wood was on the Lakers this season but was waived on Feb. 11. His injury absence forced LA to look for a replacement in the buyout market. The Lakers signed 7-foot big man Alex Len to replace 6-foot-10 Wood.
The Lakers were uncertain about Wood’s return, and trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic left them thin in the frontcourt, especially at the five. They traded for Mark Williams, but that move fell apart after the Hornets big man failed his physical. Waiving Wood made the most sense at the time for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers brass.
He was the only injured player on the team, and there was no certainty about his ability to deliver if and when he was healthy again. However, the Alex Len experiment hasn’t fared well. The Ukrainian center has been a net-negative player with a -14.2 rating in seven appearances and two starts for the team.
With Len underperforming, Christian Wood’s injury return announcement on X had Lakers fans rallying behind him to re-sign with the franchise and replace Len.
The LA Lakers could have benefited from Christian Wood if he was available, especially after the Luka Doncic trade. Wood is one of the few big men in the league who fits the mold of a modern-day center. He can stretch the floor and score in a multitude of ways. Last season, he showed he can be a handy contributor defensively.
Wood had one of his best seasons in Dallas, playing next to Luka Doncic during the 2022-23 season, averaging 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 52/38/77 splits. He could have been an ideal fit as a pick-and-pop threat next to Doncic, LeBron James and even Austin Reaves. However, the Lakers had to make a tough choice because of his injury setback.
