The 76ers waived Christian Wood, an intriguing 20-year-old rookie on a team-friendly contract, so they could bring 36-year-old Elton Brand out of retirement.
Brand added value on a young Philadelphia team, but dropping Wood was a real cost. Though the 76ers eventually re-signed Wood to a rest-of-season contract, they lost his original deal, which included three more unguaranteed seasons.
Philadelphia’s loss is Charlotte’s gain with Wood entering free agency now instead of as late as 2019.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
Free agent Christian Wood has agreed to a two-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2016
Wood starred for Philadelphia's summer league team in Utah and Las Vegas. His second year of Hornets deal will be team option, sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2016
Wood showed an ability to leverage his face-up skills into drawing fouls, and his outside shooting has potential. His length gives the 6-foot-11 forward a chance defensively.
Though Wood is very raw and might not stick in the NBA, the Hornets’ strong culture should be good for him.
If he pans out, they’ll have a bargain in 2017-18. If not, they can drop him at no cost.
It’s almost as if having Wood on a team-friendly contract is a good idea.