Cleveland Cavaliers Trade Rumors: George Hill Trade Stalls Due to Disagreement Over Potential Buyout If LeBron James Leaves
LeBron James' impending free agency decision seems to have impacted one of the deals the Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to make before the trade deadline next week.
A lot of people actually thought George Hill's move to Cleveland was imminent, but talks appear to have hit a snag. So what's holding up the deal?
While speaking on ESPN Radio, Brian Windhorst and Ryan Hollins touched on the topic and they revealed that negotiations stalled because Hill is reluctant to agree to a preliminary buyout should James leave following the season.
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"What they wanted to do was protect themselves in the event that, if LeBron James left, whether George Hill would be willing to take a buyout on the $20 million he's owed on his contract after this season," Windhorst said, via NBC Sports.
The Cavaliers are expected to go through a full-scale rebuild if James ultimately leaves in free agency this summer and they don't need Hill around if they push the reset button. But as noted by NBC Sports' Dan Feldman, Hill is also trying to protect himself by refusing to reduce the guarantee in his contract.
"There's actually some precedent for this. Ty Lawson agreed to reduce the guarantee in his contract a few years ago to facilitate a trade from the Nuggets to the Rockets. He flopped in Houston, got cut and lost about $12 million he otherwise would've earned. He's now out of the league," Feldman said.
The Cavaliers still have one week to work on the deal, though. It will interesting to see if they can convince Hill to change his mind.
Hill is averaging 10.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 steals in under 28 minutes a game this season. He's also shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 45.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.7 percent from the free-throw line.
