The arms race at the top of the Eastern Conference continues to heat up. The Philadelphia 76ers swooped in at the NBA Trade Deadline to acquire veteran point guard George Hill. This deal involved three teams: the 76ers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder
Three-Way Trade Send George Hill to 76ers
Rumors and speculation had the 76ers making a sexier move by trading for Kyle Lowry. However, adding George Hill may prove to be an even better decision. Hill is still a solid defender, but his price proved to be far lower than what the Raptors likely wanted for Lowry.
Here are the details of the trade:
76ers Get: George Hill, Iggy Brazdeikis
Oklahoma City Thunder Get: Tony Bradley, Austin Rivers, 2025 and 2026 2nd round picks (76ers).
New York Knicks Get: Terrance Ferguson, Vincent Poirier, 2021 2nd Round Pick (76ers).
The New York Knicks were able to dump Austin Rivers’ salary, which will allow for them to be a more viable free agency destination now that they are showing promise as a franchise. For the Thunder, this move was all about the financials.
George Hill will be owed a little more than $10 million next season. That is a lot of money for a backup point guard averaging 11.8 points per game in 26 minutes. Hill has long been viewed by teams as a backup point guard for a championship team. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a defensive backup point guard to form a dynamic duo with current backup guard Seth Curry. Clearly, the 76ers view this year as the year for the dream of “the process” to become reality.
