The Sixers, Lakers and Clippers have expressed interest in Thunder point guard George Hill, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported Tuesday.
Hill is a sensible trade target for contending teams like the ones named. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Bucks last season, shooting an NBA-best 46.0 percent from three-point range. Any team that needs additional ball handling, shooting and playoff experience would be wise to consider him.
The 34-year-old will make $9.6 million this season and has a salary of approximately $10 million for the 2021-22 season, although only about $1.3 million of that is guaranteed. Oklahoma City has been piling up draft picks and, according to Fischer, that would be the focus of a Hill deal. Fischer cites a Western Conference executive who said, "They're willing to [both] take back and trade salary for draft compensation.”
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Hill had surgery on his right thumb after playing 14 games for the future-focused Thunder. The timeline for his return is unclear, with Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault telling reporters Monday he wouldn’t classify Hill as “day-to-day.”
The Sixers, therefore, wouldn’t have much time to integrate Hill if they acquired him. The team will have 28 regular-season games remaining after Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. However, Hill is not a high-usage or high-maintenance player, with part of his appeal the idea that he could fit in any situation.
For the Sixers in particular, the fact that Hill takes care of the ball well could be helpful. He’s had a lower turnover percentage than the league average for his position in 11 of his 13 NBA seasons, per Cleaning the Glass. The Sixers are currently 26th in turnover percentage.
Shake Milton has been the team’s primary second-unit ball handler this season, with rookie Tyrese Maxey not a player head coach Doc Rivers seems likely to trust to play postseason minutes quite yet. Furkan Korkmaz has been the bench’s other main source of perimeter offense. Though Matisse Thybulle has made 10 of 19 three-pointers (52.6 percent) since the All-Star break, he’s far more reliable and valuable defensively.
NBA
All of the players named above are 24 years old or younger.
Hill wouldn’t be nearly as splashy an acquisition as Kyle Lowry. If the Sixers trade for him, though, it would be easy to understand why.