The Kings got their point guard of the future by drafting De’Aaron Fox No. 5.
But he won’t be their point guard of the present.
That’ll be George Hill.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
Free agent George Hill has reached agreement on a three-year, $57M deal with the Sacramento Kings, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2017
This isn’t a terrible deal in terms of Hill’s projected production over the next three years. But in a market drying up on Hill, Sacramento still had to pay premium dollar while trying to escape a reputation for being “basketball hell.”
Whether Hill mentors Fox or just gets in the rookie’s way will be debated for the next couple years. It’s often difficult to assess from outside, and it’s even less wise to pick a narrative in advance.
But Hill hinders the Kings’ ability to tank this year, the last year they have their own first-round pick before sending out their 2018 unprotected first-rounder (the result of a disastrous salary dump a couple years ago).
It seems Sacramento, which is also reportedly signing Zach Randolph, is just treading water at below average while limiting its ability to win at any significant level down the road.