Paul George trade rumors tracker
By John Buhler
The Indiana Pacers have made All-Star small forward Paul George available for trade. Here is the latest on all things George heading into the deadline.
The Indiana Pacers have something that all NBA teams want: a star player. Indiana has a great small forward in four-time NBA All-Star Paul George, but he is reportedly not happy with his situation in Indianapolis.
George first mentioned during the 2017 All-Star Break that while he does want to bring Indiana its first NBA Championship, he won’t commit to the Pacers long-term. George will hit unrestricted free agency in summer 2018. Pacers team president Larry Bird is reportedly planning to offer George a long-term extension this summer, but there are no guarantees that George will sign the offer sheet.
Bird has pragmatically done his due diligence with regards to George’s stance with the Pacers. During All-Star Week, Bird mentioned that the Pacers could part ways with their 2017 first-round pick to help bring George another strong player to entice him to stay in Indianapolis long-term. Bird has also begun to feel out the 2017 trade market for George this trade deadline.
It seems that Bird wasn’t kidding when he said that he could be shopping George at the trade deadline. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical of Yahoo! Sports first reported that Bird was testing the 2017 trade deadline market for George.
Sources on @TheVertical: Indiana assessing trade market on All-Star forward Paul George. https://t.co/WImGynWeha
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 22, 2017
While Bird was initially feeling out what George could land on the trade market, it has apparently been more than he expected. The first and biggest suitor for George this trade deadline happens to be the Boston Celtics. Boston can offer a trade package worthy of prying George away from the Pacers. That even includes the 2017 first-round pick by the Brooklyn Nets, currently owned by the Celtics.
Sources: Boston, Indy had preliminary talk on Paul George, but there won't be real dialogue until/unless C's introduce Nets pick into deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
Update on Boston, Indy: Boston hasn't met Indiana's asking price on Paul George, but Nets pick has entered conversation now, sources say.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
While there could be other NBA teams like the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Laker, or the Orlando Magic that could put together an enticing deal for George, it seems that Boston is the clear front-runner to land him in a trade with the Pacers.
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It will be the biggest blockbuster trade of the season if George is dealt from Indiana. Stay tuned for any information about the status of George heading into the 3:00 p.m. ET deadline.