/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48998251/usa-today-8934465.0.jpg)
The fifteenth roster spot vacated by JaKarr Sampson is no longer vacant. According to a report from Yahoo's Shams Charania, Christian Wood will make his triumphant return to the Sixers roster.
Philadelphia will sign forward Christian Wood of Delaware, sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 4, 2016
Further clarification provided to Liberty Ballers' Jake Pavorsky indicates that Wood's stay is temporary for the time being, with his second stint in Philadelphia starting on a 10-day contract.
Truthfully, it's a bit of an odd addition to the roster. The Sixers talent is heavily concentrated in the frontcourt, whether you're talking about headliners like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor or young guys fighting for minutes in Richaun Holmes. Wood showed promising flashes in his first shot with the big club, but the team needs help on the wings more than they need another upside-y big at the moment.
Perhaps this is just a case of rewarding a guy who has flourished on their D-League team. Wood was averaging 15.8 points, 8.8. rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game for the 87ers, and has produced several standout performances, including this 45-point, 14-rebound effort against the Canton Charge:
Regardless, the circumstances surrounding Wood's return are curious, to say the least. If Wood was indeed their target for the final roster spot, he could have been brought in last week. Whether this means preferred options fell through or Okafor's shin issues are troubling enough to get an extra body in for a short stretch remains to be seen.
Easter is still weeks away, but The Cross has been resurrected.