The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Oklahoma City Thunder executed a three-team trade on Wednesday afternoon, roughly two hours before the NBA’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Headlining the deal, the Thunder sent point guard George Hill to the 76ers, who are also getting Iggy Brazdeikis from the Knicks. In return, Oklahoma City gets Tony Bradley, Austin Rivers, and a pair of second-round draft picks in 2025 and 2026.
The Knicks receive forward Terrance Ferguson from the 76ers.
Hill is in his 13th NBA season having previously played with the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers before arriving in Oklahoma City in 2020.
He provides a considerable boost to the 76ers’ three-point shooting ranks, which needed a considerable upgrade in order to space the floor for their big offensive playmakers like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris.
The belief was that the Sixers’ glaring hole of a consistent deep shooter is what was preventing them from being more of a serious contender in the Eastern Conference.
Hill does not attempt an abundance of three-pointers — he’s only averaging 4.1 attempts per game this season — but he’s shooting 38.6% after leading the league with a 46% clip from downtown last season.
For the Knicks, who find themselves in the No. 5 spot in the East, they’re getting an uber-athletic wing in Ferguson, who had been outcast in his first year with the 76ers this year. In 13 games, he averaged just 3.8 minutes per appearance.
Over his first three seasons with the Thunder, the 22-year-old averaged 4.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per appearance. He’ll continue that reserve role in New York where he’ll be playing behind either Reggie Bullock or Derrick Rose (when healthy), along with Frank Ntilikina and Alec Burks at the 2. At the small-forward spot, he’ll be behind RJ Barrett — which is where he’ll most likely be slotted in as.
New York’s logjam in the backcourt prompted them to trade away Rivers, who began the season in the starting lineup before the emergence of Immanuel Quickley and the acquisition of Rose from the Detroit Pistons made him expendable. He hadn’t appeared in a game since Feb. 13.
