The Philadelphia 76ers made their move on Thursday when they acquired George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder. He brings a veteran presence in the guard position and a guy who produces on both ends of the floor.
However, most believed that the Sixers grabbed Philly’s native and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. It seems that the two sides were close to an agreement, but President Daryl Morey went to Hill’s trade rather than Lowry’s.
The kidnappers demanded a lot for the face of their franchise and, rightly, from them, but he is also 35 years old. The asking price from Philadelphia was steep and seems to have been too steep for Morey in this regard.
According to Athletic’s Sam Amick, the compensation project was too big for the Sixers:
As for Philadelphia, which would have been close to a Lowry deal but ended up opting for George Hill in Oklahoma City, a source familiar with the talks said the Raptors thought they were very close on that front late in the process and that the compensation project was the last unresolved obstacle. The plan, the source said, was for Toronto to redirect Sixers guard Danny Green to a third team.
Redirecting Green to a third team is interesting, because that’s probably where the Golden State Warriors come in. The dubs had emerged as a possible commercial destination for the veteran and may be the third team to be involved.
Either way, Lowry would have been nice to have, but Hill is a guy who brings a lot of experience in the playoffs and is a great option in both directions as a goalkeeper. Hill is also under contract for the 2021-22 season, while Lowry will be a free agent and he is looking for a new business. Morey went the smarter route in this case.
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