Yahoo: Spurs sign George Hill

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AlcAQhc2akpmTks_.JtW2zm8vLYF?slug=ap-spurs-hill&prov=ap&type=lgns

Spurs sign George Hill
By CLIFF BRUNT, AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The San Antonio Spurs signed first-round pick George Hill on Tuesday, Hill’s agent said.

The Spurs took Hill out of IUPUI with the 26th selection, but didn’t have to sign him. Michael Whitaker said Hill participated in summer league with the Spurs and had been working out in San Antonio since Aug. 18, despite the fact that he hadn’t officially signed.

“The Spurs are a championship organization,” Whitaker said. “They told us all along they wanted to get the deal done, they just wanted to use the time to sign free agents. We just took them at their word.”

Now that Hill has signed, the first two years of the deal are guaranteed. The rookie scale shows that Hill would make $1.22 million his first year and $1.31 million his second year. The Spurs have team options the next two years.

Hill, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season for the Jaguars. He declared himself eligible for the draft after his junior year, and performed well enough in workouts to put himself in position to get selected.

Whitaker needed to reassure Hill that the deal was going to happen.

“It’s not common for first-rounders to go that long, but I told George, ‘You got drafted by a unique team,”’ Whitaker said.

Took long enough. Talk about waiting until the last minute.