Newly acquired Utah Jazz guard George Hill is happy with his new digs.
So happy, in fact, he already doesn’t want to leave.
Per Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune:
Hill has one year remaining on his contract, but Neff said he and his client hope to be in Utah beyond the 2016-17 season.
“I’d hope a team doesn’t give up a lottery pick to take a guy for one year,” Neff said. “George likes stability; he’s not the kind that wants to move around.”
The feeling is probably mutual.
George Hill is a terrific fit for the Jazz. He can defend either guard position, plays on or off the ball, is a pretty good passer and will stroke threes at above-average clips. And for now, he’s a steal at $8 million.
That number will invariably climb in 2017, when Hill becomes an unrestricted free agent. The Jazz will also have to worry about paying Rudy Gobert (restricted free agent) and Gordon Hayward (player option) next summer. That could get expensive.
If George Hill works out, I’d look for the Jazz to try moving Alec Burks. He hasn’t quite picked up on Quin Snyder’s offense, has struggled to stay healthy and is still a tasty trade piece because he’ll never make more than $11.6 million during a single season of his current contract.
All of that’s down the line. Still, it’s something to keep in mind as this Jazz’s rebuild progresses.
