Source: Cavs won't ban Rodney Hood over refusal to enter game

12:08 PM ET

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Rodney Hood apologized to general manager Koby Altman on Tuesday for declining to enter the game when his number was called on late in a 128-93 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, a team source told ESPN.

Hood "feels awful," according to the source, and he plans to apologize to his teammates and coaching staff in person as soon as they get back together after a couple days off following a 4-0 sweep of the Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

As first reported by The Athletic, Hood refused to check into Game 4 when Cavs coach Tyronn Lue attempted to sub him in during a timeout with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and Cleveland up 110-80 at the time.

While The Athletic reported that several of Hood's teammates were "angered" by his decision and that the organization could consider suspending him. A team source told ESPN on Tuesday that suspending Hood was "not even a thought."

Hood was acquired from the Utah Jazz in February when the Cavs revamped their roster with a series of trades

Lue said he met with the 25-year-old Hood in the days leading up to Game 4 and had a "good talk" about his role on the team.

"Rodney, he could be better. He knows that," Lue said during his pregame remarks Monday. "Just need him to be aggressive."

He didn't mean passive aggressive, however.

Hood explained to Altman, according to a team source, that he said something to the effect of, "I'm good, I'm fine, play the other guys," when asked to go in Monday. The Cavs are not viewing Hood's decision as an "act of defiance," the team source told ESPN, and Lue did not take it as a personal slight.

Hood, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, has major financial incentive to perform well this postseason. WIth the way the playoffs have gone for him through the first two rounds, it could only have hurt his value on the open market.

After his trade to the Cavs, Hood averaged 10.8 points on 44.2 percent shooting (35.2 percent from 3), 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21 regular-season games.

He was Cleveland's starting 2 guard to open up the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers routed the Cavs in Game 1, 98-80, and Lue changed up his starting lineup moving forward, playing Kyle Korver with the first unit and bringing Hood off the bench. Hood ended up averaging 6.3 points on 46.2 percent shooting (16.7 percent from 3), 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist in 18.9 minutes per game against Indiana.

His role diminished in the second round against the Raptors, averaging just 0.7 points on 11.1 percent shooting (going 0-for-3 from 3 in three games), 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.0 minutes per game. In Game 4, rookie Cedi Osman leapfrogged Hood's spot in Lue's rotation for the first time all postseason, and Osman filled in with five points on 2-for-5 shooting (1-for-3 from 3), two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

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