CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 4: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives around Derrick Favors #15 of the Utah Jazz during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 4, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Utah Jazz alums: Rodney Hood traded to Portland Trail Blazers
Former Utah Jazz wing Rodney Hood will return to the Western Conference; the Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to trade him to the Portland Trail Blazers.
As Utah Jazz fans wait with bated breath on trade deadline fireworks that may or may not actually come, a popular former Jazzman finds himself on the move for the second time in the last year.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers have dealt Jazz alum Rodney Hood to the Portland Trail Blazers. In return, the Cavs will receive guards Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin, each of whom are on expiring contracts, and second-round picks in 2021 and 2023.
Hood had veto rights on the trade, but was reportedly excited by the prospect of heading back Westward and joining a high-level playoff team.
Although he struggled to help the Cavs during their last hurrah in 2018, eventually falling out of the playoff rotation, Hood should be a good fit for the stretch run in PDX. Before the latest trade, he had recovered fairly well in the post-LeBron era, putting up 12 points and nearly three boards per game while posting a 43-36-91 shooting line.
He should absorb all of Stauskas’ minutes and may even challenge the Evan Turner-Moe Harkless-Jake Layman triumvirate for additional time.
https://twitter.com/rodneyhood/status/1092227631767015424
Hood’s best ball came during his final half-season in Utah, during which he put up nearly 17 points a night and boasted a career-best effective field goal percentage of 51.6. If he can get back to that level, the Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum-led Blazers could see a bump offensively, which is a scary thought.
Portland already ranks eighth league-wide offensively, scoring 112 points per 100 possessions. The Jazz saw how potent the Blazers offense could be last Wednesday when it produced 132 points in a blowout win despite missing Jusuf Nurkic.
Hood will lose Bird Rights this summer, so he could score big time on the open market as an unrestricted free agent if all goes well in Portland. The Blazers, who already have more than $120 million in salary commitments for 2019-20, could also use one of their exceptions to re-sign him.
All things considered, this trade feels like a win for all parties involved. The Cavs got draft picks and some financial flexibility, the Blazers got deeper just in time to lock down a top playoff seed and Hood gets to a better team and has the chance to make himself look really valuable ahead of free agency.
