NBA Trade Rumors: Chicago Bulls Interested in Picking Up Jazz Wing Rodney Hood
Rodney Hood has continued to draw interest as the trade deadline draws near and he seems to have caught the eye of the Chicago Bulls.
According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, the Bulls are among the teams that have expressed interest in acquiring the fourth-year wing.
Interestingly, Bulls forward Nikola Mirotić has been linked to the Utah Jazz for some time now, so maybe they can work on a trade centered on both players. However, there are a couple of obstacles standing in the way of a potential deal.
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First of all, a straight swap is not possible because their salaries don't match. Aside from the first-round draft pick the Bulls are seeking in return for Mirotić, the Jazz will also have to include another player in the deal to make it work.
Another problem is that Hood is set to become a restricted free agent after the season.
Of course, the Bulls will retain the rights to match any offer he receives if they acquire him, but they are expected to give guard Zach LaVine a hefty contract in the offseason. That means they will tie up a big chunk of their salary cap space on two players if they re-sign Hood as well.
"With Zach LaVine's big pay day imminent, would the Bulls really want to worry about paying another of their own restricted free agents which they would need to do if they want to keep Hood in the fold after this season? Maybe if the price is right, but don't expect the team to mortgage the future on a high volume, low efficiency scorer like Hood," Paul Steeno wrote in his column for Blog a Bull.
Hood is an interesting trade target for the Bulls because of his ability to put up points in bunches, but as noted by Steeno, the team will have to consider their options carefully because they don't want to give up their financial flexibility.
Hood is averaging 16.7 points (career high), 2.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals in under 29 minutes a game this season, and he's shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.2 percent from the free-throw line.
