George Hill appears to be a man in-demand ahead of the 2021 trade deadline. Almost every team in the NBA will try to make a move before the deadline strikes Thursday at 3.00 PM ET and the rumors have started circling from Monday.
Every day, we learn more about what could happen in a couple of days and some veterans are drawing a lot of attention from around the league, including the playmaker George Hill. After a couple of seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Hill has landed in Oklahoma City to play with the Thunder and their young group of players. Well, he could be soon in a new team if rumors are to believe.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, three of the biggest teams in the league are interested in acquiring Hill in the trade market, with the Thunder revealing their asking price for the 34-year-old.
There hadn’t been much chatter regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder’s veteran point guard, but as the trade deadline inches ever closer, Hill’s name has emerged more and more in conversations among team executives. Both Los Angeles teams and Philadelphia have expressed interest, according to league sources. The Thunder’s asking price appears clear. “They’re willing to [both] take back and trade salary for draft compensation,” one Western Conference official said.
The Sixers have a first-round pick at their disposal, and Hill would not require them to move Danny Green’s salary, the trade chip necessary for any Kyle Lowry transaction. Plus the collective bargaining agreement bars teams from trading any player back to a previous team during the same season.
Neither Los Angeles club has first-round capital to play with, but there’s hope among several teams that OKC will come to a buyout agreement with Hill.
It will be interesting to see how this situation will play out for the Thunder and the three teams interested in Hill’s services. They know this is a player that will add value to their roster ahead of the playoffs and now the key will be how they can unlock negotiations with Sam Presti and the Thunder.
