BIOGRAPHY
Rodney Michael Hood was born on October 20, 1992, in Meridian, Mississippi. He is a guard and forward in the NBA.
Hood attended Meridian High School in Meridian, Mississippi. As a junior, he averaged 22.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while leading his team to the Class 6A championship game. As a senior, he averaged 24.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 3.1 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game as he guided Meridian to the Class 6A championship and a 29–2 record. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Hood was listed as the No. 5 small forward and the No. 16 player in the nation in 2011. In October 2010, he committed to Mississippi State University.
As a freshman at Mississippi State, in 2011–12, Hood earned SEC All-Freshman Team. In 32 games (29 starts), he averaged 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 32.8 minutes played per game.
In July 2012, Hood transferred to Duke University. He subsequently sat out the 2012–13 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.
In his second year at Duke, in 2013–14, he earned second-team All-ACC honors. In 35 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 32.9 minutes per game. In April 2014, Hood declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.
On June 26, 2014, Rodney Hood was selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. On July 11, 2014, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Jazz. On March 16, 2015, he had a season-best game with 24 points on 9-of-11 from the field and 5-of-5 from three-point range as he helped the Jazz record their sixth consecutive win in a 94–66 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
In 2015–16, Hood started in all 79 games in which he played and solidified his position in the starting lineup. He established himself as a go-to offensive option and proved a valuable asset to his team. He scored double digits in 61 games, and he went for more than 20 points in 15 games. On January 2, 2016, he scored a career-high 32 points in a 92–87 overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the Jazz's season opener on October 25 of 2016, he scored 26 points in a 113–104 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On December 16, 2016, Hood hit his first career game-clincher, after pulling up for a three-pointer in transition with 0.8 seconds left, to give the Jazz a 103–100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He finished that game with 15 points. On January 13, 2017, he scored a season-high 27 points in a 110–77 win over the Detroit Pistons. On March 5, 2017, he set a new season high with 28 points in a 110–109 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings.
On October 30, 2017, Hood scored 15 of his season-high 25 points in the third quarter to help the Jazz rally and beat the Dallas Mavericks 104–89. On November 18, 2017, he set a new season high with 31 points off the bench in a 125–85 victory over the Orlando Magic.
On February 8, 2018, Hood was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade that also involved the Jazz and the Sacramento Kings. In his debut for the Cavaliers three days later, Hood scored 15 points in a 121–99 win over the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers made it to the 2018 NBA Finals, but lost 4–0 to the Golden State Warriors.
On September 10, 2018, Hood re-signed with the Cavaliers. On October 30, 2018, he scored a season-high 26 points, helping the Cavaliers end a six-game losing streak, to start the season with a 136–114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
On February 4, 2019, Hood was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin IV, and two future second-round picks. On March 3 of 2019, he scored a season-high 27 points, all in the second half, in a 118–108 win over the Charlotte Hornets. In Game 6 of the Trail Blazers' second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Hood scored a playoff career-high 25 points in a 119–108 victory.
On February 10, 2022, Hood was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a four-team trade.
