Mavs Have ‘Commenced Dialogue’ with Christian Wood on Contract Extension
Ever since becoming a full-time starter, Christian Wood has been on a tear for the Dallas Mavericks. The versatile big man is averaging 19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 10 starts.
When Wood starts next to Luka Doncic, the Mavs have gone 7-1, including a seven-game winning streak — the longest since their 2010-11 championship season. Wood is playing in the final year of his three-year, $41 million contract and has been eligible to sign a four-year, $77 million extension since Dec. 24.
As the Feb. 9 trade deadline approach, Wood's future with the Mavs organization continues to become a focus.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Mavs have 'commenced dialogue' on a contract extension with Wood. Both sides have until Jun. 30 to discuss an extension.
"The Dallas Mavericks have commenced dialogue on a contract extension with big man Christian Wood, league sources tell The Stein Line."
Stein also reported that if the Mavs cannot reach a contract extension agreement with Wood, they will "widely expected to explore the trade market" for him. The goal would be to not lose the team's second-best player for nothing in return for a second consecutive year in such a situation.
The Mavs hold Wood's Bird rights, meaning they can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him in free agency. There would be the risk of possible free agency departure by allowing the situation to play out until the summer. A trade suitor could view the ability to acquire Wood's Bird rights as an appealing option to maximize their financial flexibility.
By some measures — including a tool called ProFitX, which has been described as being 'significant competitive advantage' in a past partnership agreement with the Mavs — Wood's production is worth well above the maximum he's eligible to sign on an extension.
ProFitX currently values Wood's production at $26,199,048, which translates to a team ROI of 82.99 percent based on his current salary. A four-year deal using such a starting annual salary would be worth roughly $117,371,735 in total salary with eight percent annual raises.
Wood has continued to grow into being an indispensable member of the Mavs. His defensive impact has continued to grow and his versatile combination of stretch-five skills and interior scoring make for a dynamic co-star with Doncic.
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