Sixers' Daryl Morey Addresses George Hill's Injury
The Philadelphia 76ers didn't make a huge splash at the 2021 NBA trade deadline, but they didn't come away from the market's close empty-handed. In exchange for multiple second-round picks, Tony Bradley, Vincent Poirier, and Terrance Ferguson, the 76ers landed veteran point guard George Hill.
While Hill is certainly a solid addition to the Sixers as he's an experienced veteran ball-handler, who can knock down threes, create his own shot and play stellar defense, he does come with a question mark.
At the moment, Hill is rehabbing a thumb injury, which he suffered early on in the season. After debuting and appearing in 14 games with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Hill missed the next 29 games as he injured his thumb and underwent surgery.
Although it seemed he was beginning to progress towards getting back out on the floor for the Thunder soon, Oklahoma City no longer has to worry about that. Now, it's up to the Sixers' medical staff to decide when Hill can be cleared to play. On Thursday night, hours after the trade market closed, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey addressed the situation.
"He's fine," Morey said in regards to Hill. "He's obviously going to be full-tilt by the playoffs... I don't say that because he won't be back earlier. Our medical staff hasn't had a chance to evaluate him yet, but our understanding is that his time back is measured in... I don't want to give a timeline, but it's not long."
Hill didn't need to get his thumb surgically repaired when he injured it earlier in the season. Still, he decided to undergo the procedure to ensure he wouldn't have to deal with the injury again. While the recovery period certainly lasts a lot longer than desired, Hill is knocking on the door of his return.
"Once he's back, apparently, it will never be something that bothers him again," Morey continued. "We're very optimistic about him going forward medically." The Sixers return to the court again on Saturday with a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. As expected, Hill will not be available to them as he has yet to join them on the road trip.
For the time being, the Sixers don't seem to have a clear idea of when Hill will join the team and begin playing with them. Based on Morey's understanding, it won't be too long before Hill makes his 76ers debut.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
