[ad_1]
There was a bright spot for the Detroit Pistons last season: Christian Wood.
He was the rare gem of a waiver thread, a neglected young gamer who was seen more as a lottery ticket than a sure thing. Hell, he had to beat Big3 GOAT Joe Johnson for a place in the preseason roster.
But after emerging as a stat jam, significant ground spacing in the latter part of the shortened season, Wood has become a free agent. We know how this story unfolded. Wood struck a $ 41 million, 3-year deal with the Houston Rockets and the Pistons added the 16th pick (who became Isaiah Stewart) via a signing and trade with Houston.
They followed that up by signing Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee.
But, while fans complained about letting Wood walk, we never really got to know the whole story. Didn’t Wood want to play for a Detroit tanking team? Did he want the chance to team up with James Harden and Russell Westbrook (lolol)? Did he just want to secure the largest bag possible?
The current theory – without much factual support – was that Troy Weaver just didn’t want him.
It turns out that was not true.
The pistons made want to re-sign Wood – and he was interested in staying – according to The Athletic’s James Edwards III and Kelly Ilko:
During that process, the Pistons also offered Wood a deal, per source. Detroit wanted it to be part of this retooling as well. However, there was a specific price in mind. Detroit had Wood’s “Early Bird” rights, which meant that if he was able to sign him to a deal that paid out about $ 10 million per year, Wood’s salary would only be $ 1.7 million per year. compared to their ceiling. Anything more would count towards the entire cap. According to the sources, Detroit did not offer more than the annual amount it would take for the smallest cap reached. The priority for the Pistons under Weaver was to acquire Grant, who, especially on the defensive end, fits more into the mold of what the revamped front office was looking for.
So it seems the best-case scenario was to add Grant, whom Weaver loved to get back to college, while keeping Wood for the maximum amount that would still allow the Pistons some financial flexibility.
Who knows if this couple would have gelled, but in theory it would have been enough, pretty good. Wood just wanted more money, and that’s totally reasonable.
Grant and Wood both lead the race for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. The Pistons are still rebuilding, sitting contentedly at the bottom of the standings, while Wood and the Rockets have dealt more BSs than any team in the league this season.
Sometimes the fans get so angry when the players leave. It is not always a shot at the city, or at the organization. It’s like any relationship – you can’t always provide what your loved ones need in this relationship, but you can still be friends.
I’m happy for Christian Wood, a companion who has finally found his destination. I think we can all agree: The Pistons’ ending to Jerami Grant worked pretty well.
[ad_2]
Source link