How far apart can Cavs and Kings really be on George Hill be?
How far apart are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings on the George Hill trade?
On Thursday, as cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings were far apart on a deal that would bring point guard George Hill to the Land, there was seemingly no critical thinking about how far apart the two sides could be due to the credibility of the reporter.
Excerpt from Vardon’s piece:
"The Cavaliers and Kings are further apart on a trade for George Hill than it first appeared, sources told cleveland.com, with significant hurdles toward a potential deal remaining.One source told cleveland.com that the two sides were speaking “conceptually” about Hill and were never close; another said the Cavs sought to change the parameters of a potential trade."
Fair enough but, nonetheless, there needs to be some inspection about how far apart the Cavs and Kings could be.
There’s no doubt that the Cavs and Kings deal, which was reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst as being at the “one-yard line“, wasn’t as close as it was initially reported as being. It rarely is.
Such verbiage gives a sense of imminence that isn’t real.
Remember, just over the offseason, a trade sending Carmelo Anthony was said to be at the “two-yard line“. Anthony ended up being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder with the Rockets unable to find any takers for Ryan Anderson’s contract. Anderson’s contract was a hurdle, as the Rockets (and New York Knicks) would have to find a third team to get involved.
Similar obstacles exist in the Hill trade.
The Sacramento Kings are trying to find takers for Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson, who, while playing on cheap rookie contracts, would take up roster space. However, that’s not too big of an obstacle as Labissiere and Richardson have shown potential to be solid rotation players and should be attractive as cheap young pieces.
The Kings may be balking at the possibility of giving up a second-round pick to give up talent though. Especially considering how early in the second-round they’ll be picking and the growing value of second-round picks in recent years.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ reported trade package of Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert and a second-round draft pick would give the Kings cap relief in the summer, especially if Shumpert opted out of his deal. It may seem pointless but the $20 million they signed Hill to is a wasted contract at this point, considering that the point guard has become discontent in his role.
Getting out from that contract for nothing and getting a second-round pick in the process is a good move.
Must Read: Three players Cavs can acquire from Lakers
The Cavs, however, may be unwilling to trade Frye. Frye is a fan favorite, a locker room favorite and was a valuable player in the second unit during the Cavs’ 13-game winning streak. He has an on-off of +11.5 points this season, a career-high. That’s how impressive Frye has been in limited action.
He’s also one of the few players in the league that is a sharpshooter and a forward-center. It would be hard to replace his skill set.
Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas are the only other players getting paid nearly $7 million.
The Cavs may still be willing to give Crowder a chance to live up to his three-and-D moniker, especially considering the value he could have in a rematch with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Kings may be unwilling to take on his contract, which has three more years on it (including this season).
A Thomas for Hill swap isn’t feasible. Not only is rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox now a franchise cornerstone but the trade would likely result in the Kings giving up a good young player or a draft pick to balance out the trade values.
This is likely where things got complicated.
More from Cavs Analysis
- The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
- This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead
- Projecting how much Cavs’ 3 two-way signings might play this season
- 4 Cavaliers looking to make a name for themselves in training camp
- Mitchell’s numbers getting trimmed a bit wouldn’t be bad thing for Cavaliers
Going down the list, the Kings are unlikely to take on the struggling, mercurial J.R. Smith and his $12 million contract. Smith, who has a growing family, is unlikely to opt out of his contract. Especially after substandard play for the bulk of the past two seasons has decreased his market value.
Theoretically, the numbers work when you package Shumpert and Tristan Thompson. However, the Cavs may not want to trade Thompson, another fan and locker room favorite, given what’s already a fractured locker room and the chance that LeBron James leaves. James and Thompson have a fraternal relationship and James refused to re-sign in 2015 until Thompson was re-signed by the Cavs.
Thompson, who wouldn’t be able to replace anything Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein can do on the court and would thus be his backup, might not provide much value for the Kings either way.
Frye and his expiring contract are the only option.
The Cavs are six feet and eleven inches away from making the deal for Hill, by my estimation.