Kofi Inkoom
The Miami Heat may have missed out on signing Christian Wood in free agency, but it appears that their head coach, Erik Spoelstra, might not be too disappointed about it.
Reportedly, Spoelstra doesn’t see Wood as the ideal player to pair with Bam Adebayo in the starting lineup.
Wood recently agreed to a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, reportedly because he believes he’ll have an opportunity to eventually become a starter during the upcoming season.
It seems that this starting role wouldn’t have been likely for him with the Heat, based on Spoelstra’s reported perspective on the 27-year-old.
Additionally, the player from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, would have brought an unfavorable reputation to Miami due to his history of playing for seven different NBA teams in as many seasons, along with multiple stints in the G League despite his evident talent.
However, he did perform admirably in a backup role for the Dallas Mavericks in the previous season, boasting averages of 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game across 67 appearances, 17 of which he started.
The fact that he remained unsigned in early September could have been advantageous for the Miami Heat, who had limited opportunities for offseason acquisitions as they awaited developments in their pursuit of a potential trade for Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers.
There was reportedly a shared interest between Christian Wood and the Miami Heat, contingent on the outcome of a long-rumored Damian Lillard trade, which has been a topic of discussion for months.
In fact, an NBA executive suggested that it might have been a prudent choice for Wood to wait before signing with a team like the Heat, as Miami potentially had the capacity to offer him a more substantial contract compared to what the Lakers could provide.
However, Wood opted for a $5.7 million deal with the Lakers, and the Heat still haven’t secured Damian Lillard as the start of training camp looms in less than a month.
Reportedly, Miami might still have their sights set on Kelly Oubre Jr., but that too seems dependent on their ability to acquire Lillard.
With this alternative now off the table, time is running out for the Heat to strengthen their roster ahead of a season where they are anticipated to compete for the NBA championship.