Houston Rockets big man Christian Wood is an option for USA Basketball as they look to fill Bradley Beal’s roster spot for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, according to the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen.
Beal is sidelined by health and safety protocols, and USA Basketball announced Thursday that he would be unable to attend the games. Though Beal is a guard, Feigen quotes a “person with knowledge of the process,” who says that discussions have been had about adding another big man beyond Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo, and Kevin Love. That’s where Houston’s 25-year-old rising star could come into play.
Wood averaged 21.0 points (51.4% FG, 37.4% on 3-pointers) and 9.6 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game during his first season in Houston, and he finished fourth in voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. The 6-foot-10 big man said during the season that he was honored to be in consideration for Team USA, and the right ankle sprain that prematurely ended his season is now healed, per Feigen’s report.
There is no known timetable for the announcement of Beal’s replacement. But with the Olympics starting next week, it should be very soon.
Rockets' Christian Wood potential replacement on Team USA roster https://t.co/OyaW1ZWM1O via @houstonchron
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 15, 2021
