The OKC Thunder are all in on bolstering their future prospects, and a way to go about this is by trading away some current assets for draft capital.
As things currently stand, the OKC Thunder hold a less than stellar 1-3 record, good for third-worst in the NBA and tied for dead last in the Western Conference.
As far as the front office is concerned, it would appear that everything seems to be going according to plan.
Due to the fact that Sam Presti had the franchise set sail on a full-out rebuild this offseason, trading away almost every impact player that guided the Thunder to their improbable 2019-20 postseason run, this sector of the standings is not seen as a bad place to be, for a low record traditionally equates to a high pick come draft day.
That said, some may argue that OKC, as currently constructed, are too good to take part in a typical tank. Because of this, the idea is that if they want to go this route and try to lose as many games as possible, they’ll likely want to start dealing some of their veterans that might impact more wins than the front office wishes.
Bleacher Report believes, should this happen, there is one specific player that the team should try to offload.
That man: George Hill.
This should come as no shock to anyone familiar with the OKC Thunder, as the idea of Hill being traded for more valuable commodities such as draft capital has been a hot topic for quite some time now.
Citing his efficiency and contract situation, writer Dan Favale went on to claim that, of all the veterans in tow, Hill easily should be seen as the most valuable:
"Contenders will have more interest in Hill, who is shooting an absurd 60-plus percent inside the arc and around 50 percent from deep. Next year’s $10 million price point is a tad steep for his age-35 season, but it’s almost entirely non-guaranteed ($8.7 million). Acquiring teams can view him as an expiring contract, though his combination of backcourt defense and floor spacing may prove too valuable to waive."
Favale would later go on to state that it may be in the best interest for the franchise to wait out the market and gauge his value periodically over time but, in his mind, the fact still remains — at some point this season, Presti should look to trade Hill, likely to a contender willing to cough up a first-rounder.