Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 reasons to re-sign Rodney Hood

Rodney Hood is a young, athletic wing with untapped talent, but those aren’t the only reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers should re-sign him.

The offseason merry-go-round for the Cleveland Cavaliers has finally stopped on Rodney Hood.

First, Cleveland dealt with the fallout of losing LeBron James. The Cavs then turned their focus to the draft, free agency and extending remaining star Kevin Love.

All reports indicate the team is attempting to re-sign Larry Nance Jr., which should not be challenging considering his likely asking price and his respect for C-Town.

Now, it’s time to shift the focus to Hood. The athletic wing flashed his potential with the Utah Jazz, averaging a career-best 16.8 points per game coupled with 2.8 rebounds before being dealt to Cleveland. But he struggled to coexist with James and ball-dominant players like J.R. Smith, averaging just 10.8 points per game in comparable minutes in his new city.

James, however, is gone. Cleveland hopes to deal guard George Hill and forward Kyle Korver. That leaves more opportunities for Hood, a 6’8” wing who appears to have underperformed so far in his career.

Hood is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any competition that comes their way. He could play for the $3.4 million qualifying offer next season, but reports indicate Cleveland wants to lock Hood up with a longer deal.

Here is why that is a sensible decision.