Christian Wood Can Fit in with Lakers 'If He's on His Best Behavior,' NBA Exec Says

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Christian Wood to a two-year contract this week, and his lackluster defensive skills have caused some concern within the Purple and Gold fan base, and rightfully so.

Wood proved to be a defensive liability with the Mavericks—who sported a 116.7 defensive rating with him on the floor last season, according to NBA.com—and he's going to have to be far better in 2023-24 if the Lakers hope to win another title in the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era.

"If he's on his best behavior, it could be a good fit," a league front office source told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "If he's not, well, you cut him."

Aside from defense, Wood should bring some much-needed offense to the Los Angeles lineup off the bench. In 67 games with the Mavs last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from deep.

The 27-year-old's three-point shooting, in particular, should be a breath of fresh air for the Lakers, which shot just 34.6 percent from deep as a team in 2022-23.

The Lakers open the 2023-24 season on Oct. 24 against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, so Wood has some time to work on his defense and prepare for a challenging year ahead.