DALLAS — There was a time when the Dallas Mavericks' trade for veteran forward Christian Wood was celebrated. 

It wasn't even a full calendar year ago. And then, things got — well — prickly. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd often was reluctant to utilize the versatile big man. Wood's role tended to change from game to game. When everything was said and done, Wood played in 67 games with the Mavericks, starting 17. And on Tuesday, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, in his exit interview with local media, granted some insight into what went wrong for Wood during the season. 

The issue with Wood came down to an aspect of the game that was a common theme from every player on the Mavericks' roster this season: a lack of defensive effort. 

"I thought Christian Wood was efficient," Harrison said. "He made the most of the time that he played. Offensively, he was amazing… Just because you're an efficient scorer, there's more to the game than just that. I think it is important to note that."

On the surface, it appears like a simple compliment to the soon-to-be free agent. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on 62.4 percent true shooting. But in the context of what has been a confusing season with Wood, it speaks volumes. 

For most of the season, Wood's standing in the rotation lacked sense and consistency. On paper, he appeared to be the perfect running mate in the front court alongside Luka Doncic.

Wood can shoot and put pressure on the rim as a roller. 

Wood also possesses offensive mobility that, theoretically, could have made Dallas an unstoppable three-headed monster following the trade for All-Star Kyrie Irving. 

Yet, that never happened. 

And it seems, at least when reading between the lines, it was Wood's defense that kept him from playing for longer stretches under Kidd during the season. His 113 defensive rating marked a career-low. 

Where he did show flashes was as a shot blocker. On the year, Wood averaged 1.1 blocked shots a game — the second-highest mark of his career. But blocked shots don't tell the complete story of blown defensive assignments, terrible pick-and-roll awareness, and a lack of effort on key possessions. 

He wasn't someone Kidd could trust down the stretch of games and the season, and it showed. It is why, in a recent report from NBA insider Marc Stein, it was revealed that Wood will most likely not be asked back to the team come free agency.

“Prime among current Mavericks who face uncertain futures are fan favorite Christian Wood (my up-to-minute sense is that the free-agent-to-be will not be asked back after a Wood contract extension was raised as a possibility before the Irving trade),” Stein wrote.

After trading Wendell Moore (pick No. 26), Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss for Wood, it was believed that the Mavs robbed the Houston Rockets blind. 

But not even a full calendar year later, it appears that the organization and Harrison are ready to close the book chapter that was the Wood experience during the 2022-23 season. And I don't think anyone can blame them.