LOS ANGELES — The 76ers got their pure point guard, just not the one everyone expected.
The team acquired George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder before Thursday’s 3 p.m trade deadline. The Sixers were still hopeful that they could still acquire Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors.
The team had discussions with the Golden State Warriors about a deal that would send starting small forward Danny Green to the Warriors a couple of weeks ago. A source said the two sides did not talk about Green on Thursday as was reported. In the days leading up to the deadline, Green’s agent told him to expect a trade, according to sources.
It didn’t happen.
Green is making $15 million in the final year of his contract. His salary could have been used in a package to help the Sixers match salaries in order to acquire Lowry. The six-time All-Star is making $30 million in the final year of his deal.
In addition to Hill, the Sixers acquired Ignas Brazdeikis from the New York Knicks as part of the three-team deal with the Thunder. OKC received Tony Bradley and two second-round picks (2025 and 2026) from the Sixers and Austin Rivers, son of Sixers coach Doc Rivers, from New York. The Knicks received Terrance Ferguson, Vicent Poirier and a 2021 second-round pick from the Sixers. Ferguson and Poirier were not in the Sixers’ rotation.
The Sixers acquired Ferguson and Poirier from the Thunder in December. Under league rules, they could not trade them back to OKC at this time. In order to make the trade, the Sixers and Thunder needed a third team. It became the Knicks.
This move enabled the Sixers (31-13) to keep some of their talented young players.
The Raptors reportedly wanted the Sixers to include second-year shooting guard Matisse Thybulle, rookie combo guard Tyrese Maxey and two draft picks in a package for Lowry.
The Sixers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers were the teams vying for Lowry. The tough part was a finding a way to get to $30 million. Lowry also wanted to get an indication that the team that traded for him would sign him to a two-year deal worth $25 million per season in the offseason.
A league executive thought a package of Green, Mike Scott, Maxey, another player and a draft pick could get the deal done if Toronto could create available roster spots to match salaries.
The holdup for Miami was Tyler Herro. The Raptors wanted him included in the deal, but the Heat were unwilling to include him in a package.
Hill is making $9.5 million this season and will make $10 million next season with just $1.2 million guaranteed. However, the 34-year-old has missed most of the season after having surgery on his right thumb on Feb. 2. Hill sustained the injury on Jan. 24. The injury is described as a mallet finger injury. Also known as “baseball finger,” it can occur when a ball bends a finger backward and injures a tendon, according to orthoinfo.org.
Hill averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 26.4 minutes in 14 games in Oklahoma City. Last season, he averaged 9.8 points and shot a league-best 46.0% on 3-pointers with the Milwaukee Bucks. Hill is also averaging 11.1 points, 3.2 assists and shooting 38.4% on 3-pointers in 799 career games with 463 starts.
The Sixers' acquisition of Hill made a lot of sense, because he’s someone who will be among the top seven players in their rotation. As a solid shooter and defender, the Sixers can put Hill in closing situations in the playoffs.
