The Rockets must avoid a reunion with this potential trade target

Sometimes, when a player and team part, it's for the best. That's a notion that Houston Rockets fans should get comfortable with.

Sure, there can be a temptation to reunite with former players. There's an appealing nostalgia in seeing a player back in his old duds. At times, it can even make sense to bring someone back into the fold.

Other times, it's a fool's errand. A team and player broke up for a reason. Why should anything have changed?

A former Rocket looks primed to hit the trade market. He was recently named by ESPN as a likely trade candidate heading into the deadline. The Rockets should avoid him:

There's no need to reunite with Christian Wood.

Rockets should pass if Wood hits the market

Sure, the Rockets had some good years with Wood. In 2019-20, he averaged 21.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game with a True Shooting % (TS%) of 59.1%. At that time, Wood had Rockets fans thinking he was a future All-Star.

Yes, Wood would hypothetically plug some holes for the Rockets. Steven Adams has improved dramatically lately, but Houston could use some variance in their center rotation. Adding a floor spacing big would be beneficial - and more broadly, the Rockets need shooting wherever they can get it.

Wait: why pass on Wood again? Moreover, why would the Lakers even make him available?

Former Rocket retains fatal flaws

Let's answer the second question first. The Lakers could save $11 million in luxury tax money by sending Wood to a team with an open roster spot (per ESPN). He's been injured throughout 2024-25, so they wouldn't miss his production.

The Rockets don't either.

Wood is a talented player. He's a useful player. Unfortunately, he's a low-effort defender - that's the knock on Wood.

(Sincere apologies)

This is a guy who would have Ime Udoka waking up in cold sweats - if he was able to get to sleep in the first place. He puts a well-established emphasis on defensive intensity, and that's not something Wood is known for.

By contrast, Alperen Sengun has worked hard to overcome physical limitations and improve his defense in 2024-25. As much as he's made strides, he's still not one of the league's better big man defenders. Even Adams has lost half a step on that end. If the Rockets are acquiring a big, they'll want him to be a defensive specialist.

Let's not forget that Sengun beat Wood for his starting role. Are there residual hurt feelings? Even if not, they didn't prove to be an effective duo during their shared minutes in the past. That tandem's combined defensive limitations made the Rockets easy to target on the perimeter. That was fine while they were tanking, but now that they're a winning team, they don't need to reunite with Wood.

They broke up with him for a reason.