Jordan Hill is now an unrestricted free agent, as the Los Angeles Lakers have declined his team option for next season, per Shams Charania of Real GM.
The Los Angeles Lakers have informed Jordan Hill they will not pick up his $9 million team option, league source tells RealGM.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2015
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The move should not be a surprise. Though Hill has reclaimed his free-falling career since joining the Lakers, his salary would have tied up way too much salary cap space as there are so many better free agent options on the market starting July 1.
Hill will undoubtedly garner interest on the market as he’s an above-average rebounder and has developed a midrange shot in the last couple years. Picture him as a high-energy player off the bench for a contender and he immediately makes that team better. If the team signing him hopes he can be its starting center, they’re signing up for letdown.
For the Lakers, they have a cheap option at Hill’s position in Robert Sacre and an elite prospect at the other spot Hill would play in Julius Randle. Keeping him on the team at that rate would’ve made no sense.
On a personal level, which often gets forgotten, I’d like to wish Jordan Hill well as he departs for some other team this summer. He seems like a great guy and did some excellent work with the platform the Lakers offer for breast cancer awareness having lost his mother to the disease. Good luck, Jordan.