Initially, Rodney Hood’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers was in limbo in the offseason. But his phone conversation with Cavs general manager Koby Altman was a game-changer in the negotiation talks.
As reported by Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Hood shared what he and Altman talked about in a phone call which led to the former signing a qualifying offer with the Cavaliers last month. Given that Hood didn’t really make his presence felt last season, Altman simply told him that he has to prove himself this year. Both Hood and the Cavs organization were aware of this reality.
“He explained to me that he believes in me as a player,” Hood said. “It was mainly, I didn’t get to where I wanted to money wise and years wise because of what I’ve done here. I understood that, I accepted that and like I said this year is a year where I get to prove that and then we go from there.”
Hood added that he was happy with Altman’s honesty. This is something that players value as it gives them a wider perspective of the future.
“He was honest with me. I was honest with him, how I felt. Lot of times with a third party, messages get confused. It was good to talk to him on the phone.”
The 25-year-old Hood is now in his sixth season in the league. He has career averages of 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. With Altman’s prodding, can we expect Hood’s numbers to ramp up this season? All signs are pointing in that direction as head coach Tyronn Lue expects Rodney Hood to become one of the leading scorers of the Cavs in 2018-19.