With the All-Star break officially underway, the OKC Thunder and, frankly, the rest of the NBA will look to instill their specific strategy for the upcoming final stretch of trade season.
While no one really expects them to be buyers, with the expendable veteran contracts Oklahoma City has at their disposal, it is a logical assumption that they’ll be quite busy between now and the March 25th deadline whilst playing the role of “sellers.”
One of the most highly sought-after players on the team’s roster is George Hill who, according to Shams Charania, is a ‘hot commodity’ amongst playoff-bound ball clubs.
There are a few teams the OKC Thunder should pursue a George Hill trade with
While the veteran point guard has found himself linked to several different teams over the past few months, we here at Thunderous Intentions believe there to be a few in specific in which the OKC Thunder should pursue a deal with over others.
Today, we present to you the 3 teams Sam Presti and co. should strongly consider partnering with in a potential Hill deal:
OKC Thunder trade partner No. 1) Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been a team recently linked as being possible suitors for the 34-year-old, with our own sister site, The Sixers Sense, discussing why he’d be a good grab for the franchise:
"A savvy veteran who has contributed to contenders very recently, Hill can efficiently facilitate the offense while also playing off-ball next to heliocentric stars. Most recently, Hill has effectively paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee and LeBron James in Cleveland. He is averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists on .508/.386/.840 shooting splits."
This team is in a “win now” mode, what with the likes of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris all being on the roster while also having Doc Rivers holding the clipboard.
While this team has proven to be a force to be reckoned with through this first half of the season, we’ve seen this same impressive regular season play in the past. In turn, unfortunately, it has never followed up with much postseason success.
A guy like Hill could be seen as a valuable addition for a team with such high aspirations, as he would come in with ample playoff experience (127 games played) and would add an extra playmaker to the roster.
If it means strengthening their roster for a deep postseason run, coughing up a late first-round pick doesn’t seem to be out of the realm of possibility, especially when considering how their competitors in the east are currently looking to strengthen their roster’s depth as we begin this second-half run.