George Hill opts to help Indiana Pacers as a veteran instead of joining a contender

The Indiana Pacers acquired veteran guard George Hill from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade earlier this week, and upon doing so, they presented him with a choice. The Pacers allowed Hill to decide if he wanted to remain with Indiana or go to a contender.

"We basically said, look, you have the opportunity to come in here and be a vet for our team... Or if you want us to waive you and go on to a championship team or chase another team, it’s totally up to you. We want to respect your wishes," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said of the conversations with Hill. Pritchard noted that he and head coach Rick Carlisle discussed all the options with Hill and his representatives. "It was interesting because he immediately said, ‘I want to come back, and I want to be a part of this, and I want to teach'," Pritchard added.

Hill chose to be a veteran, and he's a Pacer again. The 37-year old spent five seasons with the franchise from 2011-2016 and played in 55 playoff games for the blue and gold. He was a part of two different teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

On top of his Pacers ties, Hill went to Broad Ripple High School on the northside of Indianapolis before playing college basketball at IUPUI in downtown Indy for four years. His display name on Twitter is still "INDIANA GEORGE HILL" for a reason, he's forever tied to the city and state. Now, he's back.

"It's a place that I always wanted to be," Hill said of his return to Indiana on Friday night. He spent some of the day with his new team, where he will wear number seven. "To be able to come back, especially with a guy that you’re already familiar with (Myles Turner) in the locker room plus Jordan [Nwora] coming in. I just think it's a great opportunity. I think it's a great situation. But, you know, it puts me close to family and friends in a city that I love."

Carlisle, who had previous stints with the Pacers franchise from 1997-2000 and 2003-2007, remembers Hill occasionally playing pickup games while he was growing up in Indianapolis. They have connected before despite never overlapping on an NBA team.

Now, Hill can help out on Carlisle's team. The veteran guard can be a locker room voice, a steady reserve guard, and a mentor. A younger Pacers team needs a player exactly like that, and All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton noted that he could already hear Hill being chatty on the bench when the Pacers played on Friday.

At this stage of his career, Hill is more of a hybrid guard than a true creator or set up man. His defense is solid, though it isn't what it once was. He likely won't be in the Pacers rotation unless there is an injury. But he can be useful enough on the court when he plays, and his low-mistake style will benefit an Indiana team full of youth.

"It will be meaningful to have him in our locker room for the remainder of this year as a guy that’s certainly going to be ready to play both guard positions," Carlisle said of Hill. "But maybe even more importantly as a mentor, and a guy that knows what it looks like to be part of contending teams in Indiana with the Pacers."

Hill came to Indiana with Bucks teammate Jordan Nwora, so he already knows one person in the locker room. He was teammates with Pacers guard Buddy Hield in Sacramento, too, and Myles Turner and Hill overlapped with the Pacers during Turner's rookie season. Hill won't be a stranger, which will help him fit in.

"He was my O.G. when I first got to the league, man. I think he's going to be really good for this locker room," Turner said. "I'm glad to have him back here."

Nwora noted that Hill was a great veteran for him in Milwaukee, and the new Pacers forward shared the same detail as Haliburton — Hill was one of the loudest guys on Indiana's bench on Friday. The 15-year vet will be a boon for the blue and gold.

"I've been in a lot of places, played with a lot of great people, and a lot of great teams," Hill explained. "Just trying to bring the things that I've learned that helped me be successful and helped our team be successful here to share with these young guys and try to get Indiana basketball back to where it used to be."

Carlisle shared that he heard rumblings of Hill wanting to retire as a member of the Pacers. The 37-year old guard did confirm that he has intentions of retiring with the franchise.

"It's almost like that dream come true when you get to come home and try to finish your career here, however many years it takes me to finish," Hill said. He isn't sure exactly how many more years he will play, but he wants to remain a part of the organization in some capacity after he steps aways from playing.

Until that day, though, Hill is back playing for the franchise he calls home, and the one he wanted to be with after getting traded. He will help the team on and off the court until his final day in the NBA.