NBA Free Agency: Los Angeles Lakers meeting with George Hill

The Los Angeles Lakers are finally getting their money into free agency by meeting with an intriguing veteran.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to meet with guard George Hill. Hill is an unrestricted free agent.

The Lakers appear to be interested in picking up a veteran guard. In addition to a desire for Hill, Los Angeles is giving a “strong consideration” for Rajon Rondo, one of the most experienced point guards in the league.

If Hill and the franchise were to agree on a contract, the deal would be for one year, per Wojnarowski. Adding Hill makes a lot of sense for this young Lakers team. He is a great facilitator on the court and is coming, arguably, the best season of his career. With the Utah Jazz last season, he averaged a career-high 16.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. He was a big reason the team was the fifth seed in a crowded Western Conference during the 2016-2017 season.

Before his single season in Utah, he was a great distributor for Paul George in Indiana, while still scoring himself.

Lonzo Ball, who was drafted second overall by Los Angeles, will need a player to come off the bench and give him rest. Hill is a great candidate for that position because he can be effective in giving opportunities to the young players surrounding him. With D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram and Jordan Clarkson weren’t able to flourish. However, with guards that can pass, they will have a lot more chances.

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Additionally, the team doesn’t currently have a back up point guard of note. With Russell leaving in a trade to the Brooklyn Nets and Nick Young being a free agent, they don’t have a deep back court.

Ball’s backup would be David Nwaba. He played 20 minutes per game last year, averaging six points per game.