As Paul George trade rumors swirl, the Pacers are going after Arron Afflalo.
Arron Afflalo is one of the few pieces left on the Sacramento Kings after they traded DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s averaging just 7.6 points in 25.6 minutes per game, so he’s not playing a critical role. However, a team could use the former UCLA Bruin as a scorer off the bench with the NBA Trade Deadline nearing.
Well, there may be at least one suitor for Afflalo. USA Today’s Sam Amick is reporting that the Indiana Pacers are targeting him. It’s team executive Larry Bird’s way of “trying to get Paul George help”.
These Afflalo talks come during the speculation that has surrounded George for the past few days. He is set to be a free agent in 2018, but the Pacers may be forced to make a decision on him sooner than later. This is so they can potentially get pieces in return, and not losing him for nothing. Kevin Durant was the most recent big name to leave an organization in free agency and see the team receive nothing in return.
Does Afflalo help that much? His previously noted scoring average is down from 2015-16 with the New York Knicks, but may be a three-point specialist for Indiana. It’s not an enticing piece, if the Pacers are trying to convince their superstar player to stick around. There would have to be a bigger name coming to the Hoosier state to make George want to stay, which doesn’t seem to be in the cards just a short time before the NBA Trade Deadline.
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So whether bringing in Arron Afflalo is supposed to entice Paul George or not, it’s going to be a difficult sell to keep him. Is him eventually heading to the Los Angeles Lakers inevitable?