Rodney Hood Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Onuaku, First-Round Picks, Escrow, Flagg

July 20th, 2022 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man and 2016 second-rounder Chinanu Onuaku has signed with Italian club Dinamo Sassari, team president Stefano Sardara announced (link via Aris Barkas of Eurohoops).

Onuaku worked out for several NBA teams – including Toronto, Boston, and Dallas – this offseason and also drew interest from EuroLeague clubs, according to Barkas. However, it seems that NBA and EuroLeague interest never translated into a concrete offer that appealed to the veteran center, who appeared in six regular season games for the Rockets between 2016-18.

According to Barkas, Onuaku also had an offer from Russian team Zenit St. Petersburg, but opted to head to Italy, where he and Dinamo Sassari will compete in Lega Basket Serie A and the Basketball Champions League.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In a story for The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov explores what recent trades for players like Rudy Gobert and Dejounte Murray say about how teams value first-round picks and wonders if clubs are more willing to take big swings on All-Stars like Gobert and Murray in trades because fewer impact players are changing teams in free agency.
Within the same story, Vorkunov notes that the NBA’s revenue increase in 2021/22 benefited the players, who typically have 10% of their pay checks placed in escrow and saw that percentage increase to 15% in 2020/21 due to COVID-19. League sources tell Vorkunov that players ended up having just 7.5% of their checks placed in escrow this past season.
Sopan Deb of The New York Times takes a closer look at a camp run by John Lucas III, which is attended by players who have some interest in coaching once their playing days are over. Veteran NBA wings Rodney Hood and Justin Anderson, as well as three-time WNBA All-Star Marie Ferdinand-Harris, were among the players in attendance at this year’s camp in Orlando.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) shared his takeaways from this year’s FIBA U17 World Cup, highlighting the emergence of 15-year-old Cooper Flagg. Flagg, a 6’8″ prospect from Maine, “made a strong case as the best prospect in high school basketball and a potential No. 1 pick candidate down the road,” Givony writes.

DiVincenzo To Kings, Bagley To Pistons In Four-Team Trade

February 10th, 2022 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

7:14pm: The four-team deal is official, according to a Kings press release.

A press release from the Clippers notes that L.A. also received the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic from Sacramento in the deal, sending the draft rights to David Michineau to the Kings. The cash going to Milwaukee in the trade comes from the Clippers.

As we previously relayed, the Kings waived Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard to complete the move.

10:47am: The Kings are trading former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III to the Pistons, sources tell Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), that move will be part of a four-team trade that sends Bucks wing Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento.

The Clippers will be the fourth club involved in the deal, as Charania reports (via Twitter) that big man Serge Ibaka is headed to Milwaukee. Los Angeles is acquiring swingman Rodney Hood and forward Semi Ojeleye from the Bucks, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Sacramento is receiving Pistons forwards Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles along with DiVincenzo, per Charania (via Twitter), while Detroit is also sending out multiple second-round picks, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Woj (via Twitter) breaks the deal down as follows:

Kings acquire DiVincenzo, Jackson, and Lyles.
Pistons acquire Bagley.
Clippers acquire Hood and Ojeleye.
Bucks acquire Ibaka, two second-round picks, and cash.

The Kings continue to reshape their roster after acquiring Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, and Jeremy Lamb in a trade with the Pacers Tuesday. DiVincenzo ($4.7MM this season) is eligible for restricted free agency in 2022 if Sacramento chooses to give him a qualifying offer, while Jackson ($3MM) is on an expiring deal. Lyles, however, earns $2.5MM this season and has a club option for next season at $2.6MM, giving the Kings some added flexibility.

DiVincenzo has been a solid defender, rebounder, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He’s had a slow start to this season after recovering from ankle surgery and then entering the health and safety protocols, but he’s a young, controllable asset who likely won’t be too expensive going forward. Sacramento tried to acquire him prior to last season in the botched sign-and-trade that would have sent Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Bucks, but the deal was nullified due to “gun-jumping.” The Bucks ended up forfeiting a second-rounder in the process.

The Kings had reportedly been shopping Bagley for well over a year, as he was drafted by the previous front office regime and was publicly unhappy with the franchise. As a three-for-one trade, the Kings will have to waive two players, unless they make subsequent moves prior to the deal becoming official.

The Pistons are taking a gamble on Bagley, a good athlete who failed to develop in his time in Sacramento. Still just 22, Bagley could have untapped upside and figures to see more minutes on a rebuilding Pistons team. Like DiVincenzo, Bagley will be a restricted free agent in 2022. He’s earning $11.3MM in the final year of his rookie contract this season.

James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) reports that the Pistons will be sending Sacramento’s 2024 second-round pick and either Cleveland’s or Golden State’s 2023 second-rounder (whichever is less favorable) to the Bucks.

For the Clippers, it’s a cost-cutting move that will save them approximately $30MM in luxury tax payments, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). In order for the deal to work, Ibaka will need to amend a portion of his 15% trade bonus, Marks tweets, which Los Angeles will be responsible for.

Greif reports (Twitter link) that the Clips have been interested in Hood and Ojeleye in the past. Both players are on veteran minimum deals that expire this summer. Moving Ibaka gives more clarity to a crowded center rotation featuring Ivica Zubac, Isaiah Hartenstein, and newly-acquired Robert Covington (in small-ball looks).

By adding Ibaka’s $9.7MM contract and sending out three players, the defending champion Bucks will have three open roster spots (not including Greg Monroe, who’s on a 10-day deal) and add $6MM towards the luxury tax, Marks tweets. The cash they’re receiving will help offset the additional luxury tax payment. The Bucks had been searching for a center for a few months due to Brook Lopez‘s back injury; their starting center has suited for just one game this season.

Ibaka is having a down year after undergoing back surgery himself last summer, but he’s a smart, proven veteran who can space the floor and protect the paint when healthy. The two-second round picks will be key assets for a Bucks team that could be facing the repeater tax for multiple seasons as they contend for more titles.

Rory Maher contributed to this story.

Raptors Waive Hood, Bembry, Watson

August 3rd, 2021 at 4:29pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Raptors have waived DeAndre’ Bembry, Rodney Hood, and Paul Watson, according to a team press release. All three players had non-guaranteed contracts for the 2021/22 season.

According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, the Raptors had always planned to waive Hood, who was acquired as part of the team’s trade of Gary Trent for Norman Powell, unless they could use his contract as filler in another trade. Lewenberg also suggests the decisions to waive Watson and Bembry indicate the team is either looking to create added cap flexibility or will simply go elsewhere with its end-of-bench roster spots.

Hood has been a productive player since being drafted 23rd in the 2014 draft by the Jazz, but staying healthy has been a challenge for the 6’7 lefty. Hood fractured his hand after coming over to Toronto, putting an early end on the least productive season of his career.

As we relayed earlier today, Hood already has a deal lined up with the Bucks, who are looking to add more shooting for next year’s playoff run.

In a separate tweet, Lewenberg reports that Toronto’s plan is to waive backup center Aron Baynes before his guarantee deadline tomorrow unless his money is needed in trades, and will retain Chris Boucher through his Sunday guarantee date.

Baynes came over as a free agent in the hopes that he would help stabilize the center position upon the departure of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, but his lone year with the Raptors was a disappointment, with the 34-year-old Australian unable to carve out a role for himself. Boucher, meanwhile, has been a massive development success for the Raptors, turning into a solid rim-protector and three-point shooter in his fourth season.

Bucks Sign Rodney Hood

August 3rd, 2021 at 11:21am CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 6: Hood, who was cut by the Raptors on Tuesday and cleared waivers on Thursday, has officially signed with the Bucks, according to the team (Twitter link).

AUGUST 3: Rodney Hood will sign a one-year deal with the Bucks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Hood is still on the Raptors‘ roster after agreeing last week to delay his salary guarantee date until today. Toronto plans to release Hood, who will sign with Milwaukee after clearing waivers, Woj adds (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old swingman started last season with the Trail Blazers before being shipped to Toronto at the trade deadline. He saw his playing time cut to a career-low 12.7 minutes per game with the Raptors and averaged 3.9 PPG and 1.8 RPG.

In Milwaukee, Hood will help make up for the loss of P.J. Tucker, who is headed to Miami in free agency. Hood’s contract is likely for the veterans minimum, considering the Bucks’ salary situation.

Raptors, Rodney Hood Push Back Salary Guarantee Date

July 27th, 2021 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors and veteran wing Rodney Hood have agreed to push back the guarantee date on his salary for 2021/22, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic.

Hood’s $10.85MM salary was originally set to become fully guaranteed if he wasn’t waived by the end of the day on July 27. Instead, that deadline will be August 3, so the Raptors will get another week to consider their options with the 28-year-old.

There’s no real chance that the Raptors will guarantee Hood’s salary in order to keep him. He’s coming off a down year and was a throw-in for salary-matching purposes in the deadline deal that sent Norman Powell to Portland and Gary Trent Jr. to Toronto.

In 55 total games for the Blazers and Raptors in 2020/21, Hood averaged 4.5 PPG and 1.9 RPG with a .362 FG% and .301 3PT% in 17.1 minutes per contest (55 games). All of those marks were career lows by a wide margin.

Still, it’s possible that Hood’s expiring contract could prove useful in certain trade scenarios for the Raptors. Pushing his guarantee deadline back a week gives Toronto some more time to continue exploring those scenarios, and leaves the door open for Hood to earn a higher salary than he would if he were waived today and became a free agent.

Rodney Hood Has Left Hand Fracture

May 8th, 2021 at 8:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors swingman Rodney Hood suffered a fracture of the second metacarpal on his left hand in tonight’s game, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.

With just four games left to play and Toronto out of playoff contention, Hood is likely done for the season. He played in 16 games after being acquired from the Trail Blazers in March and averaged 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per night.

Hood, 28, has a $10,851,246 contract for next season, but it’s currently non-guaranteed and he’s unlikely to be part of the Raptors’ future. His guarantee deadline precedes the 2021 free agent period, so he’ll likely reach the open market ahead of this year’s FA class.

Atlantic Notes: Hood, Dinwiddie, Raptors, Fournier

March 28th, 2021 at 4:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Raptors shooting guard Rodney Hood is hoping to revive his career with Toronto, as Steven Loung of Sportsnet details. Hood has struggled to establish consistency since returning from a torn left Achilles tendon in December.

“Yeah, it’s been tough this year just trying to work my way back and get healthier,” Hood said as he took stock of his addition to the Raptors. “Obviously this is another stepping stone to get traded but I feel myself getting healthier, I feel like towards the end of the season I’ll be a little more back to myself but I’ve got to take time and that’s been the frustrating part about it, but I’m excited about where I’m headed.”

The Raptors have a $10.8MM team option on Hood, and while it seems likely to be turned down, his performance in Tampa down the home stretch of the season could make the team think twice.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Nets reserve combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie still believes he can play this season, according to a Twitter conversation captured by Net Income of Nets Daily. Dinwiddie continues to recuperate from a partially torn ACL incurred in December. The 6’6″ guard, who has a $12.3MM player option for the 2021/22 season, is currently rehabilitating at Phenom Sports Performance in Westlake Village, California.
Toronto head coach Nick Nurse noted that the Raptors are hoping to add a big through the buyout market, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Though LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Drummond and Gorgui Dieng are already off the board, Kelly Olynyk and Khem Birch could be intriguing options if their teams part with them.
The Celtics are set to net a $450K tax credit due to new shooting guard Evan Fournier not qualifying for three bonuses in his current deal, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

Trail Blazers Acquire Norman Powell From Raptors

March 25th, 2021 at 5:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:07pm: The trade sending Powell to Portland is official, according to a team press release. Raptors team president Masai Ujiri lauded Powell’s contributions to Toronto in a statement.

“Norman accomplished so much with the Raptors,” Ujiri said in part. “Norman is an NBA Champion, and he has earned his place as one of the great success stories in franchise history.”

11:52am: The Raptors will send Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Portland won the bidding war for Powell, who is expected to turn down an $11.6MM player option for next season and become a free agent. He will add another scoring option to a Blazers team that already has Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the backcourt.

It was reported that roughly half the league had called Toronto to inquire about Powell, who is having a career-best season at 19.5 PPG.

The Raptors opted for financial flexibility in the deal. Hood, 28, has a $10.86MM contract for next season that is non-guaranteed until June 23. Hood’s playing time has dropped off sharply this season and he’s shooting just 29.8% from beyond the arc.

Trent is making $1.66MM and will be a restricted free agent this summer if Toronto makes a $2.12MM qualifying offer. The third-year swingman became a part-time starter this season and is averaging a career-high 15.0 PPG. He has knocked down 40.7% of his three-point attempts over the last two seasons.

Since the Raptors will have the right to match any offer Trent receives, the team should have an easier time retaining him than it would have with Powell, who will be unrestricted. Trent’s cap hold will also be just $2.12MM, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), allowing the Raptors to open up more cap room.

Portland generates a $1.7MM trade exception in the deal, tweets Marks. Bird rights will accompany Powell and Trent, so their new teams can go over the cap to re-sign them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

CJ McCollum Out At Least Four Weeks With Foot Injury

January 19th, 2021 at 7:01am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 19: Further testing on McCollum’s foot injury revealed a small hairline fracture to the lateral cuneiform, the Blazers announced late on Monday night (Twitter link). According to the club, the standout guard will wear a walking boot and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

McCollum is the third key Portland rotation player to be sidelined with a multi-week injury, joining Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins. The increasing number of absences may put more pressure on the Blazers to make use of one of their open roster spots.

JANUARY 18: Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, who left Saturday’s win over Atlanta due to a left foot sprain, will be re-evaluated in one week, head coach Terry Stotts said today (link via Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com).

McCollum remained in the locker room at halftime on Saturday after appearing to suffer the injury in the first quarter when Hawks center Clint Capela landed on his foot following a layup attempt. Rodney Hood was moved into the starting lineup for today’s game vs. San Antonio to replace the Blazers’ second-leading scorer.

If McCollum remains sidelined for a week, he’d also miss two games against the Grizzlies (Wednesday and Friday) and one against the Knicks (Sunday). While there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go next week, it doesn’t sound like the injury will result in a long-term absence for McCollum.

Hood, Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons are the other most obvious candidates to see some extra minutes for Portland until McCollum gets healthy. The club also has a pair of open roster spots (one standard and one two-way), but there has been no indication that any signings are imminent.

Northwest Notes: Porter, J. Green, Hood, Towns

December 5th, 2020 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Porter Jr. is confident that he’s ready to be the third star the Nuggets are looking for, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Porter got uneven playing time at the beginning of last season, but injuries gave him a chance to be a starter and he became a star at Disney World, earning a spot on the All-Seeding Games second team.

Denver is counting on a strong second season from Porter after losing Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig in free agency. That leaves a huge hole at the wing spots, and Porter is ready to build on what he has learned.

“I kind of saw everything last year,” he said. “We played LeBron (James) in the playoffs, I played against Kawhi (Leonard), Paul George, all the best players at my position. So I feel like I have some experience now going into this season that I didn’t have last year in my first year playing. I went from DNPs to starting on a Western Conference finals team in the playoffs. I learned a lot in one year and looking to carry that over to this year. I want to make a really big jump. I’ve been working really hard in all the areas that I saw that I need to get better in the playoffs. I’m excited and I feel like I’m ready.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets players are excited about the addition of free agent forward JaMychal Green, according to Alex Labidou of NBA.com. Denver was looking to add toughness, which Green has displayed by establishing a presence in the league after going undrafted in 2012. “I’m just glad he’s on our team. He’s one of those power forwards you hate to go up against,” Paul Millsap said. “He’s a guy I’ve battled against for many years. He’s always had an attitude to be relentless and to win.”
Trail Blazers swingman Rodney Hood is ready for a fresh start after a year filled with personal tragedy and recovery from an Achilles tear he suffered last December, notes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Hood is close to being cleared for five-on-five play and is expected to back up new additions Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr.
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is heading into a new season with the pain of losing his mother and six other loved ones to COVID-19 still fresh on his mind, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Towns talked about the difficulty of focusing on basketball in the midst of so much tragedy. “I play this game more because I just love watching my family members seeing me play a game I was very good and successful at,” he said. “It always brought a smile for me when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play. It’s going to be hard to play. It’s going to be difficult to say that this is therapy. I don’t think this will ever be therapy again for me. But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had. I guess that’s the only therapy I’m going to get from it. It’s not going to really help me emotionally or anything.”