Utah Jazz alumni: Hood & Co. face uncertain future after Finals loss
By Ryan Aston
Former Utah Jazz ballers Rodney Hood, George Hill and Kyle Korver could all be playing for different teams in the next year following the Cavs’ NBA Finals loss.
I’ve said it before, but a refresher seems apropos after the Cleveland Cavaliers officially washed out of the 2018 NBA Finals on Friday. In the Association, a whole lot can change in just a handful of months.
After the trade deadline, the Cavs seemingly had a new lease on life. Gone were ill-fitting pieces Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder (thank you very much) and Derrick Rose. Also: Dwyane Wade rode off into the Miami sunset. Sure, the sun sets in the West, but you get the idea. In their place, former Utah Jazz guards Rodney Hood and George Hill, as well as Larry Nance and Jordan Clarkson, were there to right the ship.
Four months later, following an uneven playoff performance and a four-game Finals sweep at the hands of the now back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors, the Cavs — and the former Jazzmen on their roster, including Kyle Korver — face uncertainty.
Should LeBron James elect to skip town for a contender (which seems pretty likely just now) Cleveland’s roster is going to get rocked.
With or without the King, though, Hood’s time in The Land may be over.
Before the Jazz dealt him to the Cavs, Hood looked to be in line for a big payday this summer. Given the year he was having, averaging just under 17 points per game and knocking down 39 percent of his triples, a deal worth $15 million or more per annum wasn’t unfathomable.
Now, Hood may be headed to the discount rack.
His postseason was a disaster by just about every measure. Hood put up just 5.4 points per game and only connected on 17 percent of his 3-point attempts over the course of the playoffs. And Cleveland was outscored by a team-worst mark of 18.3 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
It’s hard to say where he’ll go next, but his playoff efforts definitely haven’t done his impending free agency any favors. Nor did his refusal to enter a game during the Cavs’ series against the Toronto Raptors.
Hill and Korver were much more effective than Hood throughout the playoffs. In fact, they were the only two Cavs that were a consistent part of Coach Tyronn Lue‘s rotation to have a positive rating. But neither would fit the team in the event that James leaves.
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They’re both under contract beyond this season, but would likely be movable in trades. Hill is technically owed $37 million over the next two seasons, which is outrageous. However, only a fraction of his final year salary is guaranteed. So he’ll essentially be on an expiring deal next season.
A cash-strapped team could look his way.
Korver, meanwhile, is inked through 2019-20. However, he’s pulling down just $7.5 million per year and could eventually find his way to another contender. Even at age 37, he remains one of the game’s elite marksmen.
In any case, things are up in the air for the former Utah Jazz trio.