Vecsey Says Hill's Available

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Hill available, Mutumbo available, Payton available... Come on Il Duce:
Work your magic, work the phones, pick up one of these guys. Earn that
$7 million
dollars a year for a change....

Peter Vecsey - New York Post
HILL'S GONNA BOLT MOTOWN 

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INITIALLY, I believed Grant Hill's playoff-ending injury might prolong
his stay in Auburn Hills. Even if it were only for another year. Maybe
the Pistons' franchise player wouldn't want to leave on such a sour
sweep, having never carried his team past the first round. Not once over
six seasons. For some romantic reason, I figured Hill would feel some
sort of responsibility and affection beyond logic to ex-mentor/current
executive Joe Dumars, his teammates and (about-to-be-named) head coach
George Irvine. 

I thought he would've been repulsed at making the break on such a
negative note. 

That'll teach me to try to think for someone else. Obviously, I'm
afflicted with notion sickness. 

According to sources, Hill is giving explicit indications he plans to
become a free agent come July 1, by exercising an escape clause in his
Pistons contract, and intends to bolt to a genuine title contender. 

Hill may be resting his broken ankle, but he's wearing out his larynx
contacting players competing for teams (Knicks, Spurs, Pacers, 76ers)
better than his own and asking them all the right questions regarding
possible roster movement over the summer. 

His message never varies in content and clarity, vouch those connected
on the exclusive party line: 

Money is not his motivation, it's complementing his wedding band with a
championship ring. 

Every player reached out to by Hill repeats the same stuff. 

"He says the only thing that's important to him is playing for a team
that's capable of winning it all," echoes Hill's quote. "If the only way
to get on a team like that is to accept the $2 million exception, so be
it." 

Clearly, the Pistons will make the maximum financial effort ($85M over
seven years) to tempt Hill to change his mind and warp his standards. 

Once they accept him at his word, management will go all-out to induce
him into agreeing to a sign-and-trade proposition; that way Hill can
choose his place of play while getting top pay, and the Pistons won't
lose their biggest asset without receiving relatively fair remuneration. 

Already there's sound speculation (which regrettably disregards salary
cap issues relating to incomprehensible base year compensation) that the
76ers are prepared to offer Allen Iverson for Hill, and that the Pacers
would entertain a Jalen Rose (sign-and-trade) swap. 

This just in: Should Hill indeed split, the Pistons plan to rename the
Palace Grant's Tomb.