Will George Hill Remain With The Kings Until Season’s End?

With the NBA Trade Deadline coming up, will the Sacramento Kings decide to deal George Hill?

The NBA Trade Deadline is nearing soon, and the Sacramento Kings will have to make some big decisions once that time comes. One of these decisions will be if they want to deal George Hill or not. Hill was one of the players the Kings signed last summer and he is currently on a three-year contract which could be worth up to $19 million annually.

Is Hill Tradeable?

There is a market for Hill if the Kings decide to shop him. Throughout his career, Hill has been a solid scoring guard while being an adequate defender on the other end. He also brings a lot of experience as he has been on teams in the past who have had great success in the postseason.

Even with his numbers on the lower side this year, Hill has remained to be an offensive asset as he is averaging 10.1 points a contest while shooting an efficient 46.1% from the floor and 46.9% from the three-point line.

Playoff teams who are looking to add depth at the guard position or teams looking to find a starting guard going forth will be the clubs who could show some interest in the nine-year veteran, in my opinion.

Will The Kings Pull The Trigger?

Hill brings good depth and a veteran presence to a Kings’ point guard group who is in dire need of both. With the Kings having rookies De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason III as their other facilitators, Hill’s presence could be valuable for them in their developments going forth.

But with that being said, however, I think the Kings will consider the needs of Hill as well. In a recent interview the nine-year veteran had with Sacramento Bee’s Ailene Voisin, he expressed his surprise towards the team’s struggles so far.

Here is a part of the article which quoted Hill: 

"“Very frustrating,” he said. “I’ve never been through anything like this, not ever. It’s not what I expected, a little more difficult than I anticipated. I think as a team we all get along. We like being around each other, like doing things together. But we’re still trying to learn each other, and it’s a different style of play. I’ve just got to figure things out.” – George Hill"

Although Hill’s words do not sound good, I still believe he will remain professional as long as he is rocking the purple and white. His actions have shown it so far.

But Hill’s recent quotes show he and the Kings have different visions on how they thought the team would perform this season.

If correct, the Kings should try to find a landing spot for him. For the Kings’ rebuild to be successful, it is important for the organization from head to toe to be on the same page and buy into what the team wants to accomplish. Because of this reason and what we have heard from Hill throughout the year is why I do expect the Kings to try to deal him before the deadline. But will they be successful?

Final Thoughts

I think the Kings will try to trade Hill before the deadline, but I also find it unlikely a deal will come through. Yes, there is a market for Hill due to his reputation as a player, but I think his contract shrinks his trade stock immensely.

I think teams would be lining up to try to acquire Hill if he was a season rental, but due to his contract, he is guaranteed to get paid $18 million for next season with no team option available. In my mind, a big commitment for a team to make during the midseason. There is also the option of packaging him up with another player, but I think his contract is still a steep risk to take.

Because of what Hill’s contract demands, the Kings will likely not get much if he gets dealt, and I think Sacramento would rather keep him for the season to continue mentoring the young guys. If Hill continues to be frustrated with where the team is heading, the Kings can always try to move him in the offseason.

Overall, I think the Kings will try to trade Hill before this season’s trade deadline but will be unsuccessful in finding a mutual deal. If you ask me, expect Hill to remain with the Kings for a while. Hopefully, his wisdom can rub onto Fox and Mason along the way.