Utah Jazz trade No. 12 draft pick for Indiana's George Hill


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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz have found a new point guard.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Utah Jazz have traded the No. 12 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft for Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill.

The deal is part of a three-team move that also sent Atlanta PG Jeff Teague to Indiana.

The Jazz have been fans of Hill for a long time, and Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey has experience with Hill from his days in San Antonio. Hill's a terrific 3-point shooter (over 40 percent from downtown last season) and a solid, rangy defender on the other end.

Hill averaged 12 points per game last season for the Pacers, along with 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. His contract expires after one season.

He fits in well with a Jazz squad that desired more shooting and defense from the point guard position last season. He'll provide insurance to the Jazz there, in case Dante Exum's recovery from a torn ACL last offseason goes slowly. Given Exum's experience level, Hill could be the starter from day 1.

However, losing the No. 12 pick in the draft is significant. Lindsey has drafted well since becoming Utah's general manager, gaining Trey Lyles at the same slot last year. The Jazz, knowing the importance of the 2016-17 season, chose to prioritize winning now over a potential long-term prospect.

While the Jazz still have three picks in the 2016 NBA draft, all of them are second rounders: Nos. 42, 52, and 60. Expect more minor moves as the Jazz look to consolidate those picks, or perhaps move PG Trey Burke, now even more surplus to requirements.

Since trading Deron Williams in 2011, the Jazz have had pretty poor production at the point guard position. Hill could be the Jazz's first point guard to have a positive metric in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus system, for example. Hill ranked 17th there last season.

This article will be updated with additional information throughout the day.

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Andy Larsen

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