Though the New Orleans Pelicans salary cap situation is not in the greatest of shape, they still plan to be relatively active during free agency. One target they reportedly have their sights set on is small forward Rodney Hood.
Earlier today it was reported by Yahoo sports analyst Jordan Schultz that the New Orleans Pelicans are interested in pursuing restricted free agent Rodney Hood. Along with New Orleans are the likes of Chicago, Indiana and Cleveland who are in contention to sign the small forward.
Per source, the #Bulls, #Pacers and #Pelicans — along with the #Cavs — are the current contenders for CLE RFA Rodney Hood. All four are in the mix for the 25-year-old wing.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 27, 2018
Though Hood seemed to be a non factor during the Cleveland Cavaliers playoff run, he’s still a quality scoring threat off the pine that deserves consideration from any team seeking wing depth; this includes the Pelicans. This past year, New Orleans was a bit lacking in their secondary unit. By the end of the season NOLA’s bench ranked 28th in the league in points-per-game production (27.1 PPG). If they were to ink Hood to a deal, this could very easily change.
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For his career Hood has averaged 13.0 PPG on 42% shooting from the field and 37% from deep. Last season, before being traded to Cleveland, it looked as though Hood was on the cusp of emerging as one of the leagues best sixth-men while suiting up for the Jazz. Through 39 games with Utah, the small forward was having a phenomenal year. He averaged 16.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG while shooting 42% from the floor and a career high 39% from three.
Unfortunately, once he was shipped to the Cavaliers, his averages dropped considerably. The reason for this, however, is not due to a lack of talent. Instead, Clevelands system does not seem to cater to Hood’s style of play. The small forward is more of a “create your own shot” type of player however, with the Cavs, he often was utilized in “catch and shoot” situations.
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Hood is a player who likes the ball in his hands. He likes to create plays for himself as well as for his teammates. He had the freedom to do this in Utah and seemed to be flourishing. He was more restricted in Cleveland and ended up floundering. If New Orleans were to sign Hood and give him the reigns of the second unit, wonderful things could potentially follow.
The potential rewards of NOLA signing Hood this offseason seem to outweigh the risks. Though he may not be the sexiest of free agents, the Pelicans should seriously consider Hood this summer!