4 Cleveland Cavaliers who will be better with departure of LeBron James

Rodney Hood

Rodney Hood was a huge disappointment after being acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz halfway through last season.

Hood, a former first-round pick, didn’t really live up to expectations with the Jazz, which is why Utah was comfortable dealing him the first place.

Still, Hood was a good player in Utah, averaging 16.8 points per game.

His average per-game scoring total dipped to around 10 points per game during the rest of the regular season, but he was also taking five fewer shots per contest.

The Cavaliers extended a qualifying offer to the restricted free agent, and based off how the organization is talking about the upcoming season, it’s a good bet Hood will return, even if he’s given an offer sheet from another squad.

With that said, It’s important to recognize that other teams in the league have shown interest in making Hood an offer. Perhaps Hood will be be trade bait at some point, but it all depends on how he plays and what type of contract he signs.

The Cavs are in a strange situation. They’re no longer championship contenders, but the organization isn’t exactly tanking, either–at least not yet.

If the Cavs are going to make a play to be the sixth or seventh seed in the East, they need someone like Hood because he can score, and he impressed me with his defensive effort in the Finals.

Bottom line: He’s a quality NBA player who will play better because of James’ departure. The NBA has turned into a league of wings, and Hood offers the Cavs their best hope at the position for the second LeBron-less era.