Utah Jazz: Grading the big Rodney Hood-Jae Crowder trade
By Ryan Aston
Utah Jazz get Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose
Utah also receives the right to exchange 2024 second-round picks with the Cavs and creates two trade exceptions.
This is the part that Jazz fans really care about — does swapping Rodney Hood for Jae Crowder make the team better? I answer that one with a definitive…maybe.
The Jazz will undoubtedly make Crowder better. After two and a half big years in Boston (he averaged 13 points and shot 35 percent from three over 202 games), he was badly misused in Cleveland. Sure, he can set a good pick or find a teammate with a handoff off the curl, but he should occasionally be the recipient of said plays as well, shouldn’t he?
In Utah, he’ll get his chances. Along the way, he’ll continue to be a physical presence and a gamer on defense. Time will tell if he can return to his Celtics form; if he can, he’ll be able to play as the stretch four in certain lineups with Rudy Gobert (and/or Derrick Favors, for now at least).
Either way, he’ll be better than Iso Joe has been in the role and can guard multiple positions. Johnson is guarding zero at this point.
Crowder’s deal — worth $7.3 million next season and $7.8M in ’19-20 is already team-friendly. If he gets back to being 14-6 guy and knocking down 3-pointers, it’s one of the best value deals in the league.
He’ll need to get somewhere close to that to justify trading Hood, but I like his chances.
Derrick Rose’s part in the trade seems like a throwaway, but it’s not. In fact, the Jazz actually created multiple trade exceptions by taking back more salary in the deal. The former NBA MVP helped make that possible. Time will tell if the team uses the exceptions, but they could be the difference-maker in future trades.
Meanwhile, Rose is able to choose his next NBA job. That could mean a reunion with his former coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota.
Grade for Crowder: A-
Grade for Rose: A-
Grade for the Jazz: B
Next: Iso Joe and Iman Shumpert to the Kings