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

Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors Christian Wood Trade #1

This trade is a combination of trades number one and two. The Rockets get James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, and three highly value picks, while the Warriors get Christian Wood and the salary relief they desperately need.

If the Warriors feel they need more guard/wing depth then the Rockets could always throw Eric Gordon in the deal and land some small future asset to even the balance. That being said, this trade works for the Rockets on a multitude of levels.

The first, is they get Wiseman, the seventh pick in the 2021 draft, and the Warriors 2027 first-round pick. All three of these assets have a tremendous amount of future value. Wiseman could easily develop into a franchise center, the seventh pick is historically a valuable NBA contributor, and the Warriors’ 2027 first could be a high lottery pick.

The second is that by taking on Wiggins’ contract the Rockets have one of the most valuable assets for a rebuilding team, the salary to match. Due to the NBA’s salary cap constraints, teams are in constant need of a matching salary to facilitate a deal.

Wiggins might be overpaid but his salary can be the band-aid that makes a superstar transaction work. The Rockets won’t land a haul of picks but he’s a contract that they can move and be rewarded for down the line and in the meantime he’s a competent NBA starter.

Wiggins has been a bust since going number one overall in the 2014 draft but there’s always a chance he figures out how to tap into the talent that made him such a highly prized prospect in the first place. Not to mention with Wiggins and Wiseman swapped for Wood the Warriors will save $27 million in salary for next season, which is what makes this deal all the more likely to happen.

It’s rare for a team to be able to upgrade its roster and save money against the salary cap but this deal allows for the Warriors to do just that. The price is expensive but that’s what it takes to win a championship.

The Rockets would be insane to not listen to this offer and in all likihood they’d take it. They’d have botht the Nets and Warriors 2027 first round picks on top of five first round picks in this draft and James Wiseman. In one fell swoop the Rockets would insntanly have the brightest future of any NBA team. If moving Christian Wood is all that it takes to do that, then the Rockets should be ready to pull the trigger.