Months later, the ground beneath him started to shake and he could never regain his footing.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The 2017-18 regular season began exactly the way Rodney Hood envisioned.
In his fourth season in Utah, the swingman was thrust into a bigger role. Expected to help fill the void after Gordon Hayward's departure, Hood was about to get every crack at solidifying his spot in Utah's long-term plans and earning the robust contract he had been working toward for years. It was also the perfect platform to rebound from a postseason flop.
Months later, the ground beneath him started to shake and he could never regain his footing.
"It started off as one of my better seasons since I've been in the league and then in the playoffs not playing for the first time, getting DNPs, not playing to my full potential and trying to figure everything out, it was just tough," Hood told cleveland.com.
The summer didn't get any easier.
In late June, the Cavs extended a qualifying offer to Hood, making him a restricted free agent and allowing them to match any offer Hood received from another team.
Hood's agent went out in search of a lucrative offer sheet but it never came. All the while, Hood waited patiently and paid close attention to the market -- not with unrestricted free agents but guys positioned the same from his draft class.
He watched Julius Randle get his qualifying offer rescinded, allowing him to join the New Orleans Pelicans on a two-year deal. He noticed Zach LaVine, coming off a significant knee injury, was able to land a massive $78 million offer sheet from the Sacramento Kings that was eventually matched by the Bulls. Kyle Anderson, taken seven picks later than Hood in the 2014 NBA Draft and with lower career numbers, found a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Marcus Smart cemented a four-year, $52 million contract. Jabari Parker, Hood's college teammate, cashed in with Chicago after the Bucks rescinded his offer.
"I was happy for them for one because I know those guys," Hood said. "Jabari is like a brother to me and I know Marcus -- we came in the league together. So I'm happy for them getting money and stuff like that. But I had to understand restricted free agency. At first, it was hard because I really didn't. And I was thinking, 'All right, he got paid and I was supposed to.'"
But as Hood finally realized, it doesn't always work that way. A team's cap situation matters. So do a variety of other factors. Restricted free agency can get complicated.
While those other deals were signed, Hood, who had welcomed twins in April, was staring at an uncertain future.
"It came to a point where I had to understand it wasn't about talent and what you have done, it's about situation," Hood told cleveland.com. "So when I understood that I took my feelings out of it."
All along, the Cavs wanted him back. After all, they had swung a deal for him at the trade deadline, believing they got an alluring 25-year-old with the potential to become the starting shooting guard. Andrae Patterson, the Cavaliers' director of basketball administration, was with Hood in Utah for a few years. Patterson knew Hood well and gave his stamp of approval.
Still, when it came to summer negotiations, the visions of Hood's underwhelming 2018 playoffs were tough to shake. It wasn't just a few games. The Cavs had a 17-game sample size -- plenty enough to pause and recalculate his value.
The Cavs carved out a place in their imaginary budget with what they believed to be a reasonable offer. They were willing to go three years at a little more than $7 million annually -- a deal close to what Lou Williams received with the Clippers in a February extension.
Hood either wanted a shorter deal to get back into free agency quickly or a longer contract that carried a eight-figure salary per year -- closer to the Smart contract.
But here's the thing: While Hood was floundering in his second postseason appearance, plastered to the bench in the Eastern Conference finals, Smart was on the other side helping push the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination. The 6-foot-4 guard wasn't putting up flashy stats and probably won't ever be an accomplished scorer, but he's integral to Boston's success and his toughness is coveted in a grueling postseason series.
There was no way the Cavs could say the same about Hood. He hadn't shown them that.
According to The Athletic, that was the message from general manager Koby Altman when the two had an important phone call this summer that helped change Hood's perspective.
"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.
"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."
According to those involved with the off-season negotiations, the Cavs and Hood are in a good, healthy spot. There are no hard feelings. Ultimately, Hood made the decision to play this season on the one-year qualifying offer.
He's betting on himself.
"Just knowing the work I've put in, knowing the type of player I believe I am and what I've already done in the league," Hood told cleveland.com when asked why he was willing to take that risk after such a poor start with the Cavs. "It's not about a contract. That will take care of itself. This year it's about getting back to myself and earning my respect back."
Hood wanted to make it known that he doesn't believe it's a make-or-break year -- even though he averaged 10.8 points during the regular season and a ghastly 5.4 points, including 16.7 percent from 3-point range, in the playoffs before getting bumped out of the rotation.
It is, however, fair to call this his most important NBA season.
"You can say that," he said. "I feel like a lot of people have counted me out and this is my chance to really come back on the scene even more than I was at first, before I got here. It's more about proving people right than proving people wrong. That's just how I'm wired."
Head coach Tyronn Lue is one of those who believes in Hood. Lue even pointed to Hood as the most likely second option on the offensive end recently.
"It makes me feel good. He believes that and I think all my teammates believe that," Hood said. "It's something I've proven that I can be, one of the leading scorers on the team and I can put up numbers. That's not my mission to be the second-leading scorer. But every night I need to be aggressive and where that leads me then that's where it leads me."
Hood doesn't want to dwell on the past. But playing alongside LeBron James in a single-player-focused system wasn't easy. With it, comes plenty of stress and added pressure. Hood doesn't believe he regressed as a player. Nor does he believe his weaknesses were exposed in the postseason. It's just those Cavaliers weren't the ideal fit for him.
Even members of the organization will admit as much.
"He came from Utah where Coach (Quin) Snyder ran a lot of stuff for him coming off the bench and kind of ran offense through him," Lue said. "Coming into a situation where LeBron had the ball in his hands a lot and the second unit was different with (Kyle) Korver and different guys, it was a change for him. Only having 30 games with that change was tough."
Last year, it was a different culture, different teammates, different coaching staff and different expectations.
After going through that, Hood is ready to turn the page. He can even look back on the tumultuous eight months and consider that stretch a valuable lesson.
"Once you have been through some stuff it becomes easier. I've seen the 'bottom.' Mentally I'm in a much different space," Hood said. "I'm hungry. Ready to go."
So what's the next step for Hood?
"Now he understands what we are looking for," Lue said. "He's going to be a big option on this team and we need him to score the basketball."
Lue is expected to run more plays for Hood, where he can use screens to open up quality looks. The hope is that he thrives with more touches, the ball moving from side to side, rather than sticking with one player for a bulk of the possessions while the others stand on the perimeter and wait for passes. It was an effective formula for the Cavs, just not for many individuals.
During the first part of the 2017-18 season, Hood boasted a usage rate of 26.6. It added up to career-highs in points (16.8), shot attempts, (14.2), 3-point percentage (38.9) and free throw attempts (2.5).
When he arrived in Cleveland, that changed quickly. His usage rate plummeted to 17.5. Then his stats and playing time followed.
The Cavs' message to Hood is simple: Be aggressive. Show more consistency.
"There's times in the game where I can be passive and almost to a fault," he said. "Just after self-evaluating over my career, just not leaving stuff on the table. Going out there, scoring the ball, making the right plays and not be a black hole by any stretch, but being more aggressive and getting back to being a two-way player -- a guy that can defend multiple positions."
It's clear Hood views himself as a high-level player. But it's time to show that. No more excuses. This is his shot. The contract still looms. But he believes he's better equipped to handle that pressure.
"I'm not playing this year for that," Hood said. "I feel like I've been overlooked -- rightfully or wrongfully so -- for a long time and I want to get back to myself. That's what this season is about. That, winning games and getting to the playoffs. I want to get that feeling back so I can prove myself in that type of environment."
An eventful summer followed a chaotic few months. But Hood says he's put that all behind him. In some ways it's come full circle. Hood is again entering a contract year with plenty to prove and the promise of a larger role -- the opportunity he's always wanted.
And if all goes according to plan, the plan hatched between the Cavs and Hood after months of negotiating will be a win-win. The two parties can continue to work together and if Hood finally realizes his potential -- starts making meaningful plays, shows he can stay healthy and becomes an integral part of Cleveland's new core -- then he will get the recognition he feels he deserves. The big contract, too.
As for the Cavs, they will have their starting two-guard -- the player they believe they acquired at the February trade deadline.
