Cavaliers Rumors: Hood, Henson, Love

After being traded from Utah to Cleveland during the 2017/18 season, Rodney Hood could once again find himself as the subject of in-season trade rumors in 2018/19, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, this time around, Hood is vowing not to let that speculation affect him.

“If I get a call then we will handle it then. But until I get a call I’m not going to worry about what’s going on outside the circle,” Hood said, per Fedor. “I think that’s where I got into a little trouble last year, my last month or so when I was in Utah, just listening to what was going on rather than staying locked in. So just want to lock in and once I get that call we will see what happens.”

While the Cavaliers set aside some money last offseason to re-sign Hood to a long-term deal, he ultimately accepted his one-year qualifying offer, and not it’s unclear whether he’s still part of the club’s future plans. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently identified Hood, an unrestricted free agent in 2019, as a player who could be on the trade block in Cleveland.

Of course, there’s another notable difference between last year and this year for Hood — because he re-signed with the Cavs on a one-year deal, he has the ability to block any trade that involves him.

“I didn’t know that until actually about like three or four days ago when people started talking about it,” Hood said.

With Cleveland headed for a high spot in the draft lottery, Hood may welcome a change of scenery if he gets a chance to join a contender. Still, the Cavs will have to take his veto ability into account as they explore the market, since they’ll need him to sign off on any trade agreement they make. As Fedor details, Hood isn’t going into specifics on whether or not he’d approve a deal, but did say he’s happy in Cleveland.

“I like being here. I like the fan base. I like the city, me and my family are settled there. I’m not even looking towards being traded,” Hood said. “It’s a business and what happens outside of my jurisdiction, with my agent and the front office, that will happen and we will go from there.”

Here’s more on the Cavs:

• While the Clippers haven’t explicitly expressed interest in Rodney Hood, they’ve scouted the Cavs’ last several games, could use a wing, and don’t want to take on multiyear money, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Those factors could make L.A. an ideal suitor for Hood.
• The Cavaliers just acquired John Henson earlier this month, but it’s possible he’ll be on the move again before the trade deadline, says Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. As Kyler notes, Henson could return from wrist surgery in February and isn’t in Cleveland’s long-term plans. However, if he’s still not healthy at the deadline, the Cavs may have a hard time finding a taker, especially since his $10.48MM salary for 2019/20 is fully guaranteed.
• Although the Cavs have been willing to listen to inquires on Kevin Love, league sources view an in-season deal as unlikely, according to Kyler. By all accounts, Cleveland won’t be actively looking to move Love anyway, but if that stance changes, an offseason trade appears more realistic, as his contract would be easier to move at that point.