When the Lakers traded long time fan favorite Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets, the deal did not make the fan base happy. Fisher was Kobe Bryant’s best friend and had cemented himself as a clutch player in pressure situations.
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The Lakers received Jordan Hill in return and many believed at the time that Hill was an expandable player who wouldn’t have much of an impact. Little did they know that Hill would transform himself into an effective big man that can play on both ends of the floor.
Today, Hill is on his way to another lucrative contract. The Lakers have a team option on his two-year $18 million deal, but it looks like Hill will have to wait another year for another big contract. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, the Lakers are reportedly planning to keep Hill in purple and gold:
"Though the assumption when Jordan Hill signed a two-year deal worth $18 million last summer was that the Lakers would deal him by the trade deadline and that the second year of his contract (a team option) would not be exercised, sources have said all year that there is a distinct possibility the Lakers will, in fact, keep Hill going forward."
Hill is having a career year, he is averaging 12.3 points and 8.2 boards per game. He only sees the floor for about 27.2 minutes per game, so he is definitely making the most of his opportunity.
Hill struggled in his first four seasons in the league, but these last two years with the Lakers have been instrumental in his growth. Hill is capable of averaging a double-double every night and each year he has improved something in his game.
This year, his outside shooting improved dramatically and many believed he would end up being dealt by the trade deadline, but it never happened. Now, the Lakers look to keep the former Arizona Wildcat and he will likely find himself in plenty of trade rumors.