Rockets Trade Talk: Christian Wood to Grizzlies a 'No-Brainer?'
The NBA Draft is a little more than a week away, and the Houston Rockets could be primed to see a lot of action – not just because they own picks No. 3 and 17, but also because trade rumors have swirled around Christian Wood and John Wall for a while now. Wood is more likely to be dealt that Wall is due to his favorable, expiring contract, youth and the fact that he's just now hitting the prime of his career.
In a recent trade speculation piece, Bleacher Report identified four "no-brainer" trades for 2023 NBA title contenders, and one of those involved the Rockets doing business with the Memphis Grizzlies. Here is the proposed trade offer:
Grizzlies receive: Christian Wood
Rockets receive: Brandon Clarke, De'Anthony Melton, 2022 first-round pick (No. 22 overall via Utah Jazz)
With this trade, the Rockets would be getting a player in Clarke (25) who is a year younger than Wood (26), plays a similar style of basketball as him as well. Melton is a 24-year-old combo guard who shot 37.4 percent from 3-point range for Memphis. Both players averaged double-digit scoring with the Grizzlies – in theory, making up for losing Wood's 17.9 points per game.
Adding a premier offensive threat like Wood next to an elite defender in Jackson would be an ideal combination for Memphis and allow the team to mix-and-match assignments as needed," writes Wood, 26, is still young enough to grow with this Grizzlies team and is coming off a season where he averaged 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and shot 50.1 percent overall.
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For Houston, moving Wood now before he hits free agency nets the team a good, young big man in Clarke who's coming off an impressive playoff showing (12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 61.5 percent shooting in 24.7 minutes) and has another year left on his rookie deal before becoming a restricted free agent.
The Rockets getting the No. 22 pick is an intriguing sweetener to this deal, because it would give them three first-round picks to either use or potentially package into an even bigger trade. The draft will begin on June 23, and Inside The Rockets will keep you up-to-date on all rumors, reports and speculation between now and then.
