Milwaukee Bucks: Trade value power rankings ahead of the deadline

7. George Hill

When it comes to the value of a trade asset, not everything is based on on-court performance, as I think I’ve made clear throughout these evaluations.

George Hill is the prime example of this. Hill, since being acquired by the Bucks via trade from Cleveland on December 7, has not exactly blown the doors off with his play.

Hill is shooting just 25 percent from deep in a Bucks uniform, which was one of the reasons Milwaukee wanted Hill.

So why is Hill ranked so highly, you ask? Well, it’s all about the contract.

Hill is owed $19 million this season and $18 million next season. A large sum for a 32-year-old point guard on the downslope of his career,

But, the key is the details. The final year of Hill’s contract is guaranteed for only $1 million until July 1, 2019. Which means he can be cut by a team and they’ll save $17 million.

Hill’s large but flexible contract means that he can be included in a trade with much larger contracts but won’t carry the financial long-term burden of most.

It’s a unique contract that makes him particularly valuable at the trade deadline.

Will the Bucks use Hill’s contract in a trade for a better player and bigger contract? Hard to say, but at the very least, acquiring Hill allowed the Bucks to shed longer-term contracts in Henson and Delly and save money for free agency in the future.

Another team, though, may be in the midst of making a large trade but doesn’t have the player contracts to make the money work, at which point the Bucks can enter the fray with Hill’s juicy contract and ask for another asset in return.