George Hill and the Jazz reportedly won’t reach an agreement on a contract extension on Tuesday, which is the last day this season that teams can renegotiate contracts. However, both sides remain interested in getting something done eventually, and agreed to resume discussions in the summer, per Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
According to Jones, the Jazz are “prepared to do whatever it takes” to retain Hill beyond this season. However, they’ll have plenty of competition for the veteran point guard in the offseason. Sources tell Jones that Hill is expected to have as many as 12 teams looking to sign him in free agency, and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com tweets that Hill has been advised he can get a better deal this summer than what Utah can offer now. In the offseason, rival teams could offer a four-year contract, while the Jazz could make a five-year offer. Today, Utah only could have offered a three-year extension.
Here’s more from around the Northwest division:
- As the Nuggets traveled to Chicago, power forward Kenneth Faried stayed behind in Denver to receive treatment on his back, tweets Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post. Head coach Mike Malone expects Faried to miss at least a week to 10 days.
- Trail Blazers wing Evan Turner, who is trying to make his way back from a hand fracture, said today that he’s getting his cast removed on Friday and hopes to return to the court for Portland in a week or so, per Mike Richman of The Oregonian (Twitter link). The original recovery timetable for Turner, which was announced about three weeks ago, called for him to miss five or six weeks.
- The Timberwolves passed on Buddy Hield to select Kris Dunn with the fifth overall pick last June, but Minnesota head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau says he’s a “big fan” of the new Kings sharpshooter, as Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune details. According to Thibodeau, he and the Wolves considered Hield and Jamal Murray before selecting Dunn — Thibodeau believes “all three guys will have terrific careers.”
George hill turned down 13m more this season plus 3yr/75m?!? He is gonna hold out for 4-5yr and over 100m!! I feel bad for the Jazz if they do that, he is good but not gonna lead you to a title or deep playoff run. Plus if he is 30 now he will be 35 and making 25m+ a year by the end of it. I know pg is vital and if Reggie Jackson is worth that much hill probably is too at least he is dependable I just don’t think he is worth more than 15m, he can’t be the second or even third best player on a legit team, 4th or 5th. Jazz have depth too and it’s because they are on reasonable contracts. Probably hard for Utah to lure free agents though and they are excited to be 4-5 seed so they don’t wanna mess with it, but they aren’t even close to warriors, Spurs as even the clippers and rockets are much better.