Northwest Notes: Hood, I. Thomas, OKC, Jazz

Rodney Hood had the ability to veto a trade this season, but was entirely on board with the deal that sent him from Cleveland to Portland, as he tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. While Hood didn’t go so far as to say he got to “pick” his new team, he admitted that the veto ability gave him the power to maneuver his way to a club he wanted to join — like the Trail Blazers.

“When I heard Portland, I looked at the situation and the opportunity to play minutes in an offense and system that, I think, really fits my style of play,” Hood said of his move to the Trail Blazers. “I also think with their community and their fan base, my personality will really fit in as well. I think it was a no-brainer to me to come out here and be part of what they have going on.”

Here’s more from out of the Northwest:

• Isaiah Thomas made his Nuggets debut, appearing in an NBA game for the first time since last March. Christopher Dempsey of Nuggets.com has a Q&A with Thomas about his long road back from hip surgery, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic relays the point guard’s impressions of his return, and Harrison Wind of BSNDenver.com examines how Thomas impacted the team even when he wasn’t playing.
• The Thunder, who dipped to 12 players this month, are back up to 14 after signing Scotty Hopson and Richard Solomon to 10-day contracts, but they may just be short-term options. Erik Horne of The Oklahoman explores other ways in which the Thunder could use their open roster spots down the stretch.
• Prior to the trade deadline, when the Jazz were said to have interest in Mike Conley, one report indicated that the veteran point guard wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of heading to Utah. Conley denied the rumor, and Jazz owner Gayle Miller later suggested that she’s unconcerned about the idea that players might not want to come to Salt Lake City. “I think Utah is a great place to live,” Miller said, per Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. “It’s beautiful and I wish more people had a better perception of it, but I don’t feel it’s my mission to change that. I think we do that some with our basketball team by having great players, players of good character who conduct themselves well and I think they all like it here.”