Los Angeles Clippers Receive: G George Hill
OKC Thunder Receive: C Ivica Zubac, G Reggie Jackson, POR 2023 2nd Round Pick (via LAC)
Through the years, George Hill has consistently been a fantastic role player on any team he has been on and now, at 34-years old, brings a whole new aspect of the game with him. Given his experiences around the NBA and the teams, he has been a part of, Hill knows what it takes to win and is willing to play any role his team needs him to play to be successful.
From playing with LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo, George Hill has played with some of the best talents of this generation in the NBA and now, he could have the chance to play with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Los Angeles in this trade.
Now in his 13th season in the NBA, Hill has averaged 11.1 points and 3.2 assists over the course of his career, while shooting 45.7% from the floor and 38.5% from three-point range. Just last season, George Hill led the league in three-point shooting percentage when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks, shooting 46% from deep on 176 attempts.
While they did lose Montrezl Harrell this offseason and are thin in their frontcourt, trading away Ivica Zubac in this trade could be hard to do. From OKC’s perspective, their main goal is to acquire as many NBA Draft picks and young talent as possible and Zubac could be a player they add to their youthful core.
He is only 23-years old and is in the fifth year of his NBA career, a year in which he could be primed to have a big season. Last year was arguably the best of his career, averaging 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 61.3% from the floor.
Zubac is a big-bodied, traditional low-post big man who cannot shoot from the perimeter, which may be a small concern in today’s NBA, but can replace the production Steven Adams leaves behind and then some. He is a fantastic young big man in today’s game and with young guards like former teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander around him, the Thunder could have a very nice balance of youth at all positions.
With all of this being said, let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both the Los Angeles Clippers and the OKC Thunder.
