The New York Knicks are expected to be one of the most active teams on the market before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Despite the improvements that they made in the last offseason, most people believe that the Knicks need more help in order to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship title in the 2021-22 NBA season.
One of the areas that the Knicks could look to upgrade this season is the starting center position.
According to Greg Patuto of NBA Analysis Network, the Knicks should consider targeting Christian Wood before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Mitchell Robinson may have returned to the Knicks this season, but his ability to remain healthy remains a major concern for the team. If they are serious about making a deep playoff run, going after a more durable center like Wood would make a lot of sense for the Knicks.
To acquire Woods, Patuto suggested that the Knicks could offer a package that includes Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox II, Quentin Grimes, and two future first-round picks to the Rockets.
Giving up all those assets for Wood would be definitely worth it for the Knicks if it means acquiring an All-Star caliber big man like Wood. Wood would be an upgrade over Robinson at the starting center position. Aside from his durability, he's also capable of efficiently knowing down shots from beyond the arc.
This season, the 26-year-old center is averaging 17.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from the three-point range, per ESPN.
Wood isn't expected to have a hard time building chemistry with the Knicks' core. In the brief time he spent with Russell Westbrook and James Harden in Space City, he has shown that he's capable of excelling in an off-ball capacity, making him an ideal fit with ball-dominant players such as RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Kemba Walker in New York.
Also, sharing the court with a floor-spacing big man would make it easier for Barrett, Randle, and Walker to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when they are trapped by the opposing team's defense.
As of now, Wood and the Rockets haven't shown a strong indication that they are heading into a divorce before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. However, ending their partnership might be what is best for both sides. At 26, Wood no longer fits the timeline of Rockets' franchise cornerstones Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.
Trading him to Knicks would enable the Rockets to add talented prospects like Toppin, Knox II, and Grimes and future draft assets.
Meanwhile, joining the Knicks would give Wood a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs and contending for his first NBA championship title this season.
