Christian Wood agrees to 3-year, $41 million deal with Houston Rockets

Rod Beard
The Detroit News

Re-signing Christian Wood seemed to be one of was the Pistons’ biggest priority entering free agency.

After gaining the final roster spot at the end of training camp, the big man became one of the team’s most productive players by the end of the season.

That development raised Wood’s profile — and other teams noticed.

Christian Wood

Wood agreed Friday night to a three-year deal for $41 million with the Houston Rockets, a league source confirmed to The Detroit News. The deal cannot be signed until Sunday afternoon, when the NBA moratorium on free agency ends.

Wood, 25, became one of the top targets in free agency after averaging 22.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc in his final 13 games. He finished the season with career highs of 29, 30 and 32 points in three of the last four games.

Entering free agency, only a few teams had cap space — the Pistons being one, at around $30 million — and with few big-name targets, the market was tight for the top players. Because the Pistons had made several deals this week, they had to maneuver to try to make a deal work with Wood.

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As it turns out, the deal came out to be more than they were willing to pay — they could offer more than other teams because of his Early Bird Rights — and when the Rockets made the higher offer, Wood agreed.

Wood’s agreement could be part of a bigger sign-and-trade deal between the Pistons and Rockets. Their agreement this week on a trade that centered on Trevor Ariza and the 16th pick in the draft (which the Pistons used to draft Isaiah Stewart) hasn’t been finalized.