Houston Rockets: The case for, and against, trading Christian Wood

The case for the Houston Rockets trading Christian Wood: Trade Value

Remember the 21 points per game on highly efficient shooting we previously mentioned? Contenders will pay a premium for those. At 25, even some bubble teams in need of a center may be willing to do the same. Wood’s trade value has never been higher, and there’s a strong probability that it never will be.

A cursory glance at some popular hypothetical trade proposals might have Raphael Stone salivating: PJ Washington and the 11th overall pick. James Wiseman and the 7th overall pick. Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija. For a rebuilding club, that is tremendous value, and, potentially, too tremendous to pass on.

Frequently, teams lose leverage in trade negotiations when it becomes apparent that there is a sense of urgency around making a deal. Then again, any Houston Rockets fan reading this article just learned that lesson the hard way.

There is a real strategic advantage in trading a player when his value is peaking. A Wood trade may not be popular with a sizeable portion of the Rockets’ fanbase, but if it benefits the team in the long run, nobody will hold it against Raphael Stone when the Rockets are back to playing for the NBA championship with somebody else manning the five.