(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Christian Wood didn’t get many chances to show off his skills for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds during his 50 games.
His season abruptly ended in February when he suffered a left knee injury and had to undergo surgery.
He didn’t play after that.
But he may get a chance to play a lot more next season.
Michael Scotto is reporting that Wood has exercised his $3 million player option for 2024–25.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood has exercised his $3 million player option for the 2024–25 season, league sources told @hoopshype. Wood appeared in 50 games for the Lakers and averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game. pic.twitter.com/QJZEJxcjld
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 7, 2024
This means that Wood will be with the Lakers until at least 2025, when he will again become a free agent.
When he was signed to the Lakers last summer, Wood was envisioned as a backup big man behind Anthony Davis.
In the end, he never found a reliable spot in the lineup and wasn’t called upon often by head coach Darvin Ham.
Although he was technically available for the last few games of the season, Ham chose not to use him.
Perhaps Wood will get more time in games now that he’s healthy and the Lakers will have a new head coach when the season kicks off.
With this decision, the Lakers have one task marked off their list but there are still many more decisions that have to be made.
Most notably, the team still has to create a contract extension with their lead superstar, LeBron James.
Additionally, they have to figure out what is happening with D’Angelo Russell, who also has a player option he can exercise or decline in the next few weeks.
Beyond that, there is a chance that they will make many roster adjustments, trading away players and signing new ones to give James and Davis more help.
Wood is ready for another season with the Lakers, but he could be coming back to a team that looks very different.
The post Lakers Veteran Has Made A Decision About His Contract appeared first on The Cold Wire.