Hoops Habit
Fansided

2017 NBA free agency grades: Sacramento Kings will add George Hill

By Jordan Treske

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 24: George Hill #3 of the Utah Jazz brings the ball down court against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 24, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 24: George Hill #3 of the Utah Jazz brings the ball down court against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on January 24, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Sacramento Kings will add the veteran point guard they wanted as they’ve reportedly agreed to a three-year, $57 million deal with George Hill.

A little over four days into free agency, the Sacramento Kings have finally made their first big splash of the summer.

First reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Kings have agreed to terms on a three-year, $57 million deal with veteran point guard George Hill. Adding on to Charania’s report, NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports that the third year on the deal is partially guaranteed.

With two rookie point guards in the fold, it was no secret the Kings were in the market of adding a veteran point guard to help mentor both De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason III.

We already knew that wouldn’t be Darren Collison, as the Kings reportedly didn’t extend an offer to him before he ultimately agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with the Indiana Pacers.

Additionally, there had been rumblings that the Kings and Ty Lawson shared a mutual interest for the 29-year-old to make a possible return to Sacramento.

Before reaching agreement on a deal with the Kings, Hill’s time with the Utah Jazz was effectively over once the team made the decision to trade for Ricky Rubio before the start of free agency.

From there, Hill’s time on the open market once free agency got underway was initially murky.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Hill was in serious talks recently with the Los Angeles Lakers to possibly sign with them on a one-year deal.

In the end, though, Hill gets the lucrative and lengthy deal he was hoping for from the Kings.

While Hill brings the experience the Kings have coveted at the point guard position, his fit within the young roster is what makes his addition an appealing one as well.

More from Hoops Habit

Throughout his time in the NBA, Hill has proven himself to be a versatile offensive player, capable of playing with or without the ball. On top of that, he’s a rangy defender and can guard both guard positions.

In his lone season with the Jazz, Hill averaged 16.9 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 40.3 percent shooting from three, along with 4.2 assists per game. However, injuries limited him to just 49 appearances last year.

At 31 years old, Hill’s health will be the biggest question hanging over the span of his deal for the Kings. Although they have plenty of reinforcements to step up in the case he does miss some playing time due to injury, Hill being limited in any way would do damage to his value on the court.

Ultimately, adding a player of Hill’s caliber is what makes this deal a positive one for the Kings. He checks pretty much all of the boxes they were looking for in a point guard this summer and it’s yet another sign that the Kings are trending in the right direction with how they are building their team.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Again, time will only tell how well Hill’s signing goes from an on-court perspective, but it’s nonetheless showing that times are changing in Sacramento.

Grade: B

Home/NBA Free Agency