Jordan Hill said Wednesday night you never see an NBA team trade away a player taken with a lottery pick during his rookie year.
But had the 6-foot-10 Hill played more like a future building block and a draw for potential free agent LeBron James, Knicks president Donnie Walsh would never have considered adding him into yesterday’s cap-clearing Tracy McGrady blockbuster deal. His inclusion is a stark admission Walsh blundered, even if he praised Hill yesterday.
“I know this — that when we were talking to different people in the league, he was included in a lot of trades,” Walsh said. “So there were people out there that would share what I thought when we drafted him, that he’s a great prospect.”
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After Blake Griffin, the Knicks’ college scouting staff had Hill rated as the next-best player in the draft, according to a source — higher than Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet. Walsh and the coaching staff may have had different evaluations.
However, in limited action this season, Hill, the eighth overall pick, didn’t look like a rising star. In 24 games, he averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds — with the potential to be a serviceable power forward — but he didn’t show enough flashes of brilliance. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, however, felt Hill has enough tools to begin pursuing conversations with the Knicks in January. The Post reported then if the Knicks made Hill available, a deal could be worked out. Ultimately the Rockets were willing to take on Jared Jeffries’ contract because of Hill.
“He’s a promising young talent,” Morey told The Post. “We liked him in the draft — athletic, big, with both offensive and defensive potential. He’s got a solid mid-range jumper, active on defense and moves well for his size.”
Walsh said the irony is, Hill was just about to get major minutes.
“I understand a coach who’s trying to win the games not putting rookies in for a lot of time,” Walsh said. “I think he would have played a lot more if he were here from here on out.”
The disappointment began in summer league when Hill came to Las Vegas out of shape and did not stand out. It’s always alarming when a rookie lottery pick does not stand out from his teammates during summer action.
Using the excuse they had a logjam at the power-forward spot, the Knicks began the season with Hill out of the rotation. He did not get into the rotation for good until he excelled during a second-half comeback in Detroit on Jan. 16. But even when he began to play every night, he was often inconsistent, with one good game followed by one bad game. Scouts were surprised by his poor hands and low basketball IQ, possibly stemming from his not having started basketball until his junior year of high school.
A source also said the Knicks were concerned before the draft about Hill’s reputation as a partier. The team, though, thought his versatility as a big man was too good to pass up, especially with Stephen Curry off the board.
Hill always will be remembered as the guy Walsh selected over Brandon Jennings, now a star point guard with the Bucks. Had the pick been Jennings, it is doubtful he’d be in the McGrady deal — cap space or no cap space.