Veteran center Christian Wood signed with the Houston Rockets last summer with the hope of helping them fully dominate the Western Conference and contend for the 2021 NBA championship title. However, just when his journey with the Rockets was about to start, their two best players – Russell Westbrook and James Harden – have decided to leave Space City.
Since their departure, rumors have already started to swirl around Wood’s future with the Rockets. With Westbrook and Harden gone, some people think that the Rockets are better off trading Wood for assets that could help them rebuild their team.
Rockets Could Swap Christian Wood For A More Promising Young All-Star
However, the Rockets could also use Wood to speed up their rebuilding plans. In a recent article, Greg Patuto of NBA Analysis Network suggested a hypothetical blockbuster deal between the Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves involving Wood and Karl-Anthony Towns.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Rockets would be sending a package that includes Wood, Eric Gordon, Alperen Sengun, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick, and the right to swap first-round selections in 2023 to the Timberwolves in exchange for Towns and Jaylen Nowell.
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The Rockets would definitely think twice before giving up all those assets even if it means acquiring a player of Towns’ caliber. However, Patuto believes that it’s the type of move that they should be willing to make if they don’t want to make the same mistake that they did with James Harden to Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
"The Rockets would make it a point to surround Jalen Green with another star from the beginning by making an early trade for Towns," Patuto wrote. "The James Harden era ended without a championship partly because of a lack of sufficient starpower for long enough."
Karl-Anthony Towns On-Court Impact On Rockets
Towns would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Rockets. His potential arrival in Space City would tremendously improve their performance on both ends of the floor. He would give them a very reliable scorer under the basket, as well as a great rebounder, on-court facilitator, rim protector, and floor-spacer.
Last season, the 25-year-old big man averaged 24.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. Towns wouldn’t make the Rockets an instant title contender, but if he, Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and their other young players grow together and build good chemistry, it would only be a matter of time before Houston starts competing in the playoffs again.
Why The Timberwolves Would Make The Trade
The Timberwolves are only expected to consider such a trade scenario if Towns is no longer interested in being the face of the franchise. By sending him to Space City, the Timberwolves would receive an immediate replacement for KAT as their starting center in Woods and a veteran role player who could serve as their sixth man next season in Gordon.
Sengun would give the Timberwolves another young and promising big man that they could develop, while the future draft picks would allow them to add more talented prospects to their roster.
