Utah Jazz: Grading moves at the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline

Departures: Rodney Hood, Joe Johnson

For some time leading up to the trade deadline, both Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson were involved in trade rumors.

Hood has been surrounded by trade rumors for basically the last few months, with various contending teams expressing interest in the 25-year-old wing. He even said prior to Thursday’s deadline that he expected to be moved.

What makes Hood valuable is his versatility, offensive potential and his good contract. All of those attributes were attractive enough for Cleveland to pull the trigger on acquiring Hood.

Hood’s versatility includes him being able to play multiple positions, as well as his ability to start or come off the bench without his production being impacted. His offensive potential is another thing that makes him stand out, as he is shooting 42.4 percent from the field and a career-high 38.9 percent from 3. Hood is only making $2.5 million in his final year of his contract, which allows the Cavs to either let him walk or re-sign him as a restricted free agent this offseason.

The Hood trade was one Utah ultimately felt like it needed to make before the deadline. For one, the Jazz were able to get something in return for a player they likely would’ve let walk at the end of the year anyway. Another reason is due to the depth Utah has at the guard position and the fact that it would have to basically extend Hood’s contract to back up Donovan Mitchell in the future.

Shifting to Johnson, he’s been someone who’s been in and out of trade and buyout rumors for the last two or three weeks leading up to the deadline.

Johnson made it known to the Jazz that he would like out of Utah this season, and the Jazz ultimately made that work, sending him to the Kings. It’s likely that Johnson will still be bought out by Sacramento and will be on the lookout for a new home for the rest of the year.

The Jazz weren’t likely going to re-sign or extend Johnson’s contract past this season regardless, so it was a matter of either buying him out this season or packaging him together to make a trade work, which is ultimately what happened on Thursday.

The Hood and Johnson moves weren’t that surprising, as many expected the two players to be on the move at or around the deadline. The trades do allow Utah to free up a little space as far as their overflowing depth, and it didn’t have to give up any picks or other assets to make the trades work.

For the Jazz, trading away Hood and Johnson wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t necessarily good either, which is reflected in the grade we assigned to them below. For a team that suddenly doesn’t really know what it wants to do with its season after hitting a sudden hot streak, that’s about all you can expect at the deadline.

Grade: C