Ranking the Houston Rockets' Veterans by Trade Value

Houston Rockets Veteran Trade Value Ranking #1

Christian Wood (Great Value) 

Christian Wood’s trade value seems to fluctuate from game to game. Some nights he looks like an All-Star and other nights he’s disengaged and discombobulated. Some of the inconsistency can be chalked up to being on a bad team, but there are now real concerns if he has the championship mentality that contenders crave. 

However, teams on the cusp of greatness are perfectly fine overlooking those things if it means they can upgrade their roster. For most teams, Wood would represent a serious offensive upgrade, and, as mentioned before, offense tends to get prioritized. 

Wood’s skillset would turbocharge any roster that is lacking an impact player at the center position. He’s an above-average 3-point shooter, which makes him elite for a center, and is an excellent rim runner. Few players possess both of those skills, and if utilized properly could make him an impact player for a contender. 

Wood does have defensive limitations, but it’s much easier to find a solid or good defensive center than it is to find one that can stretch the floor vertically and horizontally. He’d pair nicely next to a mobile center/power forward like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Draymond Green. 

Wood’s contract is one of the better values in the league. He’s making $13.6 million this season and $14.3 million next. His contract fits easily into any team’s cap sheet without having to move multiple quality players. For the price of 97th highest-paid player, a team can land a top-50 talent. 

In terms of trade value, Wood should garner the equivalent of two first-round picks. That doesn’t mean the Rockets will get two firsts, but it means that a player they get in exchange for Wood would need to be valued like a first-round pick by the Rockets. It could be an intriguing young player or a veteran on a movable deal. 

Due to Wood’s age and contract, a team that is a borderline playoff team, and not a contender, could be interested in landing him. That may not sound like much, but the difference in value between the 15th pick and the 20th pick is far greater than the difference between the 20th pick and the 25th.