Discovering A Dwelling For Free Agent Christian Wooden

Arguably the very best NBA free agent at the moment left available on the market is Christian Wooden, the 6’10 ahead who spent final season because the second-best, and later third-best, participant on the Dallas Mavericks.

Wooden is certainly the best participant nonetheless unsigned, having netted 18.1 factors, and eight.9 rebounds over the previous three seasons, spanning 176 video games, which makes it a pretty big pattern dimension.

Wooden, who noticed his minutes fluctuate drastically throughout his lone season in Dallas, is among the most agile scoring forwards within the league, being able to roll to the rim – hitting 74.4% from inside three ft of the basket over the aforementioned time span – in addition to the power to come out off the catch, the place he is knocked down 38.1% of his nightly 4.7 three-point makes an attempt.

With cash drying up, it appears an increasing number of possible that Wooden must accept a modest contract – presumably one lasting only one season – that may enable him to rehab his worth.

As such, scenario and match instantly develop into essential parts for the upcoming season, and a few particular groups do stand out as choices, assuming Wooden and his agent are keen to signal for the minimal.

The Denver Nuggets may need a Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon in place, however they do not have rather more up entrance. With Bruce Brown leaving for the Indiana Pacers, it would not be inconceivable to see Gordon slide right down to the three a bit extra usually, permitting Wooden to play some minutes on the 4 subsequent to Jokić, and embracing the position of play finisher.

Throughout non-Jokić minutes, Wooden might helm the middle place. Head coach Mike Malone prefers to not tax Jokić an excessive amount of, notably as a result of his utilization charge and general offensive duties, so with the ability to insert Wooden at that slot for roughly 15-17 minutes per evening might assist Denver maintain Jokić more energizing for the postseason.

All in all, it is not unrealistic for the Nuggets to carve out within the space of 24-27 minutes for Wooden, backing up each the 4 and the 5 positions. It’d additionally resolve a long-running situation in Denver of the offense falling off a cliff at any time when Jokić sits. This time round, the Nuggets would have a high-caliber scorer to assist maintain manufacturing up, as Jokić takes a breather.

Sarcastically, the crew Denver beat within the NBA Finals, the Miami Warmth, might additionally carve out minutes for Wooden. And so they most actually might additionally use his inside/exterior offense.

The Warmth are often known as a high-intensity defensive group, which regularly come up a bit quick on offense. An insertion of Wooden to their bench rotation – or possibly even into their beginning lineup subsequent to Bam Adebayo – would drastically alter their slow-paced and sometimes predictable offense.

Jimmy Butler specifically would get so much out of working choose and rolls with a versatile large man, who may step exterior to hit three-pointers. Greater than possible, Wooden steps proper right into a scenario the place his expertise makes him the third-best participant on the crew, and if he buys into what head coach Erik Spoelstra is promoting, there is a good likelihood the Warmth might discover themselves again within the Finals in 2024.

Lastly, Wooden might search a scenario the place the crew hasn’t already made it far with out him, thus underlining his potential significance to a franchise which may make it additional in some half as a result of his presence.

The Chicago Bulls makes some sense, given how they upset final season, and didn’t make the postseason. Whereas the Bulls have a re-signed Nikola Vučević, and Andre Drummond, at middle, Wooden offers them an alternate look after they want to go for extra spacing.

Moreover, the facility ahead scenario has been a bit wonky for the Bulls in recent times, and a Wooden acquisition would enable each them and him to attempt one thing else. Wooden may even find yourself beginning over Patrick Williams and Torrey Craig, thus permitting the Bulls to subject a balanced beginning lineup, the place high-volume scoring and outdoors capturing would lastly be embraced.

The Bulls even have some flexibility within the $10.2 million DPE (Disabled Participant Exception) they had been granted by the league as a result of Lonzo Ball’s damage. Chicago possible would not want to make use of all of it, however they very possible must pay the luxurious tax, one thing they’ve actively prevented for years.

Is Wooden a ok addition to make him price a minor deep in luxurious tax waters for the Bulls? Given their aspirations of attempting to win, and contemplating the manufacturing of Wooden, it would be fairly troublesome to argue towards.

Except famous in any other case, all stats by way of NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleansing the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All wage data by way of Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.