Mon, Feb 4, 2019 at 3:25am

HOOD HEADS TO THE TRAIL BLAZERS

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired guard/forward Rodney Hood from the Cleveland Cavaliers for guards Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin, plus two future second-round draft picks.

What does it give the Portland Trail Blazers
For the Trail Blazers, this trade should help them in terms of scoring depth. Portland's rotation is solid but the club relies a bit too much on star guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum for overall scoring (and outside shooting, specifically). Hood could help alleviate this issue as long as he becomes a solid fit in Terry Stotts' rotation. Veteran Hood will likely be used as a swingman off the bench. Portland did not give up too much here.

What does it give the Cleveland Cavaliers
For all intents and purposes, Hood was a bust with the Cavaliers. He made little impact last season while LeBron James was still on the team, and did not take advantage of James' departure this season. Stauskas is a sharpshooter who needs a chance to play (something he should get in Cleveland). Baldwin IV is still just 22 years old and can play both guard positions. Keep an eye on him. Overall, this was a good deal for the Cavs.

Fantasy impact
The Blazers are a good landing spot for the 26-year-old Hood, but Evan Turner, Jake Layman, Maurice Harkless and Seth Curry might carve into his minutes with his new team (which would dampen his fantasy impact). At this point, it is probably safer to take a wait-and-see approach on Hood (aside from in very deep roster leagues). Both Stauskas and Baldwin IV are in a similar position with Cleveland. Let's see how the rotation shakes down before making any commitments here.