Lakers’ Christian Wood: Signing Contract with LA Is ‘Lifelong Dream Come True’ | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Christian Wood is ready to suit up for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers after spending the last three years of his career in Texas with the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.

“It feels amazing. It’s a dream come true. Lifelong dream come true,” Wood said. “I’ve been watching the team since I was a child, so it’s amazing to be here and the atmosphere in the gym is great.”

The Purple and Gold signed Wood, who is from Long Beach, California, to a two-year, $5.7 million deal earlier this month that includes a player option for the 2024-25 season.

While Wood’s defensive play is questionable at best, he figures to be a solid contributor on the offensive end. He’s coming off a 2022-23 campaign in which he averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 67 games while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from deep.

The Lakers are aiming to bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 season in which they finished seventh in the Western Conference with a 43-39 record before being swept in the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets.

The additions of players like Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent should better help the franchise compete for one of the top spots in the Western Conference this season.