Sixers to Waive Midseason Trade Acquisition George Hill
The Sixers are moving on from veteran point guard George Hill, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Hill, a 35-year-old ball-handler, joined the Sixers midway through the 2020-2021 NBA season. After he spent two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks beginning in 2018, Hill found himself traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder last offseason.
Last year, the Sixers realized they needed a veteran point guard with postseason experience to come off the bench for their playoff push. Although they were linked to several potential trade candidates, Hill is who they struck a deal for.
After starting the 2020-2021 season out averaging 11 points and shooting 39-percent from three in 14 games for the Thunder, Hill proved he could still be a valuable veteran to a team that's ready to win now.
So, the Sixers partook in a three-team deal, sending Tony Bradley and picks to the Thunder while dishing Vincent Poirier, Terrance Ferguson, and picks to the Knicks in order to land Hill.
As Hill arrived in Philly, his debut was pushed back a few weeks. Since Hill was coming off of a thumb injury that required surgery, he couldn't play with the Sixers right away. Eventually, the veteran guard found himself inserted into the lineup and managed to appear in 16 games before the Sixers started their playoff run.
In the regular season, Hill averaged six points and knocked down 39-percent of his threes. He averaged 17 minutes on the floor during the playoffs while hitting on 40-percent of his threes and averaging less than five points per game.
Hill's playoff performances with the Sixers were rather underwhelming more often than not, which probably caused the team to move on from him early. Some speculated the Sixers might hold onto George and his contract for a potential trade down the line, but the Sixers cut the cord early as they waived the veteran guard at the start of free agency on Monday.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.