Houston Rockets: 3 trades of Christian Wood to the Golden State Warriors

Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors Christian Wood trade #2

If the Warriors and Rockets have any trade discussions over Christian Wood, one of the first names brought up by the Rockets will be James Wiseman. Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft but has already seen his stock plummet since then.

At times he looked lost on the court and the Warriors objectively played better with him on the bench. However, he remains an incredibly talented player, and playing for a team like the Rockets, who can live with his mistakes, is a much better environment for his development.

Wiseman, in a redraft of the 2020 draft, likely would not go second overall again but he’d remain a top-10 pick on talent alone. It can’t be forgotten that the Warriors run one of the most complex offenses in the league and Wiseman only played in three competitive basketball games over the course of a year due to NCAA eligibility issues before playing in the NBA.

To make the salaries work the Rockets would also land Jordan Poole. Poole is by no means a future star, but he’s young, cheap, and improved dramatically from his rookie to second season.

To finish off the deal the Rockets will get seventh and 14th picks in the 2021 NBA draft to go along with second, 23rd, and 24th picks to give them five in total. At the end of the day, the Rockets would be landing the equivalent of two top-10 picks, the 14th pick, and a late first-round pick for Christian Wood.

The Warriors would be paying a heavy cost but they end up with a center who can help them right away, opposed to Wiseman who is a ways away from being a difference-maker. The Rockets land their center of the future whose timeline matches up much better with the young core that they’re building. Both sides get what they want, and, more crucially, what they need.

Next: Trade #1