Eight 3-and-D players the Houston Rockets should target

6. Christian Wood

Christian Wood is a name that many may not recognize, as he’s a reserve forward on the Detroit Pistons. The 24-year-old Wood has been a bit of a journeyman, as he’s now playing on his fifth team in five seasons in the NBA.

But this season Wood is averaging 10.1 points per game on 36.8 percent from long-range while also grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game. That translates to 21 points and 11 rebounds per 36 minutes, in addition to 1.8 blocks.

At 6-foot-10, Wood would be a welcome addition from a size standpoint for a fairly small Houston Rockets team. Regarding the defensive end of the floor, the UNLV product ranks inside the top 170 in the league in defensive win shares, which begs the question of why the Pistons are only giving him 17.3 minutes per game.

Wood has a gaudy player efficiency rating of 22.6, which is the highest on the Pistons roster and would be the second-best on the Houston Rockets, behind only James Harden. In addition, he has a true shooting percentage of an astronomical 66.6 percent, which would be the third-highest on the Houston Rockets.

From a contractual standpoint, Wood is only making $1.6 million this season, so the Houston Rockets could use their $1.6 million trade exception to acquire him. The Pistons would likely ask for a draft pick as well, which would be worth it for the Rockets as he brings size, shooting and defense, not to mention the fact that he’s only 24-years-old and his contract expires at the end of the season.

Next: No. 5