Los Angeles Lakers backup big man Christian Wood is returning to the team next season after picking up his $3 million player option, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.

Wood did not wait until the June 29 deadline to opt in. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Lakers would have saved $1 million if Wood opted out of his player option and re-signed for the one-year veteran minimum.

Before he picked up his player option, Wood already dropped a hint on X, formerly Twitter, about his decision.

“Loved my first year playing for my hometown team,” Wood posted on X on May 3. “I wish I wasn’t hurt the majority of the season, but all in all, it was a dream come true for me. I will be better and 100% healthy next season.”

For Wood, there is unfinished business in Los Angeles after he did not see action during the Lakers’ first-round loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets due to a knee injury.

But whether the Lakers would keep or flip him in a larger trade this offseason is another story.

Wood, 28, never found his footing in former Lakers coach Darvin Ham’s rotation last season, averaging a six-year low of 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench across 50 games.

The 6-foot-9 forward agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Lakers last summer, which was widely celebrated as a steal for a player, who averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds the previous season. But there was a reason why the Dallas Mavericks let him walk away for nothing.

Wood never earned the full trust of the recently fired Ham, who leaned more on Jarred Vanderbilt (when he was healthy) and Jaxson Hayes for their defense and rim protection in the Lakers second unit.