Wait so we are likely to get him on a bargain deal but NO couldn't afford him next year?
I don't think Hood has a jump in him... to be effective he has to shoot 40-45% from three on a good amount of attempts. His shot is good but streaky as hell. He won't be a paint scorer and his FT rate won't go up in a meaningful way. I'm not sure he can stay on the court long enough to be really consistent. I certainly don't think he has anything near what Hayward had in him. They are just so different.
I think his fair value is around 15M per year based on the market next year and what I'm seeing so far. What is the lowest amount per year you think he'd settle for? I feel the risk that he might get slightly overpaid is greater than we get him for a "bargain"... we may get him at a slightly lower number but it will be because that is what he earned and he isn't as valuable as we may think.
New Orleans isnt going to want to pay deep into the LT. They will want to keep Cousins. They can't keep Cousins and pay Hood, even on a good deal, unless they manage to get rid of Hill.