DALLAS — Christian Wood's time with the Dallas Mavericks may equate to a short coffee break or a layover in a city while awaiting a final destination. 

Wood, set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, slogged through a season where his role on the team was unclear, and his production was inconsistent. Amidst all the struggles with both the team and his role, Wood said and did the right things as he attempted to prove that he could be part of a winning culture and organization. 

But as the Mavs season closed on Sunday, Wood's future with the team proved murky. He declined to participate in exit interviews, matching Kyrie Irving, also an unrestricted free agent, who elected to do the same. 

It is surprising that Wood, who has embraced the challenge of an undefined role, would elect to not tell his side of the story. But there might be a legitimate reason why. Recently, it was reported that Wood will not be asked back by the Mavs following a flubbed season that failed to yield the results the organization wanted, according to Marc Stein, an NBA insider. 

“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. 

The Mavs' circumstances surrounding Wood were a confusing narrative that reached a disappointing conclusion after 82 games. 

In the Summer of 2022, Dallas sent away Wendell Moore (No. 26), Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss for Wood in what, at the time, was considered a shrewd move that made Dallas better without the organization giving up real rotational players. 

Not long after, the organization signed NBA veteran JaVale McGee to a three-year contract worth $20 million. 

Then came a story in the summer where Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, without a training camp battle, gave the starting center spot to McGee without allowing Wood an opportunity to earn his keep. 

Spawning from that moment was a season where Wood was in and out of the starting lineup, playing different roles, and never really having set expectations about his role with the group. 

Wood played in 67 games during the 2022-23 season. He started 17 of the games. In games that he started, Wood averaged 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.

In the 50 games where Wood came off the bench, he averaged 15.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.

Wood, theoretically, was the perfect running mate for Doncic as a big who could stretch the floor with his 3-point shot while putting pressure on the rim as a dynamic rim runner. But that synergy never materialized between Doncic and Wood, and Dallas underperformed, which has reportedly led the Mavs to start looking elsewhere.