What five trades should the Indiana Pacers consider for Paul George?
It’s just about official, Paul George reportedly wants out of Indiana. George has apparently informed the Pacers that he will skip town in Summer 2018. Not only will he jettison Indiana, George prefers to sign with the Lakers in 2018 which only complicates his trade value. With George being hell-bent on landing in Los Angeles, the 28 other teams calling about Paul George likely know they don’t have much of a chance to retain him.
Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reported that George has not requested a trade per se but did notify Indiana of his future plans. The 2017-18 season will be his last with the Pacers unless the team trades him.
If George is not traded, he can sign a deal worth four years and $130 million with Los Angeles or any team of his choosing. However, there is some incentive for George to seek out a trade for financial reasons. If the LA native is traded, he can earn a deal worth five years and $177 million for re-signing. With George missing out on All-NBA honors, Indiana essentially lost a major advantage in retaining him as they could have offered him a five-year, $207 million Designated Player Veteran Exception.
The Pacers forward is one of the biggest stars in the NBA today and could potentially change the landscape of the league. George, 27, averaged 23.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game over the course of the 2016-2017 regular season. George’s capable, play-making shooting ability, and scoring prowess make him an attractive get for any team. The question is what would teams be willing to trade for a possible one-year rental of Paul George? Let’s examine five potential trades the Pacers should explore.
Honorable Mention: Houston Rockets
The Rockets could potentially be an exciting destination for Paul George. Would a superstar combo of James Harden and George create exhilaration to convince George to stay? A potential lineup of Harden, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, George, and Clint Capela is something to marvel at. With Lou Williams off the bench, maybe it doesn’t put them on par with Golden State but it gets them close.
Mike D’Antoni’s up and down system is something that is designed to replicate the Warriors style. With George potentially being a Kevin Durant stopper, all of the sudden Houston matches up pretty well.
For Indiana, I’m not sure if Sam Dekker and Ryan Anderson is enough but I guess it’s better than nothing. Maybe they need to tweak the offer to include some picks or swap out Eric Gordon for Ryan Anderson. Maybe a high-flying big like Montrezl Harrell is enough to sweeten the deal for Indiana. Dekker does show some promise as a stretch-four shooting .473 percent over 18.4 minutes per game. Ryan Anderson also gives the Pacers immediate help to win now. A front court of Anderson and Myles Turner could be tough to guard and could create some interesting spacing.
Financially if Houston can pull off this trade, they have some incentives to offer to keep George around. Texas has no state tax compared to California’s 13 percent state tax so he would be keeping much more on a potential pay day. If George departs anyway, they only gave up Sam Dekker and Ryan Anderson’s $80 million contract that could look ugly on the back end anyway.
5. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are a small market team but they kinda have been irrelevant for quite some time now. For at least a year, the Nuggets can create some excitement and make a playoff run. Trading Carmelo Anthony for a bunch of assets didn’t really get Denver anywhere despite the fact that they hoodwinked the Knicks. Maybe it’s time to cash in a little to make potential free agents realize the Nuggets aren’t that far away.
Wilson Chandler sort of resembles a poor man’s version of Paul George anyway. He also has just one year remaining on his deal anyway. Chandler, 30, has an affordable contract ($12 million) and averaged 15.7 points per game for Denver this season. Adding a young guard like Malik Beasley also could make it worth Indiana’s while. Beasley was a first-round pick of Denver a year ago and showed some flashes during brief playing time.
Denver has a gluttony of young guards including Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, Will Barton, and Jamal Murray. There’s not a whole lot of minutes to go around either. With Paul George in town, they could also shop a player like Kenneth Faried to replenish some of those assets in a potential deal. Who wouldn’t get excited to watch the Joker throw some flashy passes to Paul George? Denver will also need to take care of Danilo Gallinari’s impending free agency this offseason.
4. Boston Celtics
The Celtics never seem to stop adding assets. After
in the 2017 NBA Draft, Paul George could make some sense if they decide to cash in for 10 cents on the dollar. Trading for George could also steal some of the Lakers thunder as this rivalry goes way back to the ’80s.
This trade really only makes sense if Boston misses out on Gordon Hayward. With the Celtics eventual pursuit of Hayward, they will likely wait to see if they are winners in his free agency sweepstakes. Boston could conceivably have both but they would then have to get creative with the cap and trade valuable pieces like Jae Crowder to make things work.
The Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history and may be able to convince George to stay. Boston was also the number one seed in the Eastern Conference this past season and could be closer to Cleveland than people realize. If an injury occurs to Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love, the Celtics could find themselves in the NBA Finals. A chance to win now vs. entering a losing situation in LA could be enough to entice George to stay with Green. If George does depart, the Celtics have more assets than anyone in the league, they can afford to take a chance like this as a fallout plan to Gordon Hayward.
3. Miami Heat
Pat Riley has waived his magic voodoo free agency wand before. He has convinced the likes of LeBron James to sign with his team. Why can’t he do it again with Paul George? Trading for George and putting enough talent around him is a different story.
The Miami Heat will have max cap space once Chris Bosh’s medical release takes care of his salary. Miami doesn’t have a ton of talent but they could convince another star to join the likes of George in South Beach. A front court of Hassan Whiteside and Paul George could create problems out East and become immediate contenders in the weaker conference.
Financially, Florida also has no state tax. That means he would keep the full $177 million freight for re-signing with the Heat. Taking 13 percent off of $130 million for going to California may be a tougher pill to swallow.
Getting a young player like Justise Winslow could peak Indiana’s attention. Winslow only played 18 games this past year due to injury but showed promise during his rookie campaign. The former Duke product is a slasher and can fill the shoes of George’s role with the Pacers. Tempting the Pacers with future draft picks, possibly this year’s lottery selection could be enough to close the door on a deal.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
We know that George wants to play for the Lakers, so obviously, the Pacers must start their trade negations with LA first. The problem is Indiana doesn’t have much leverage in trade talks as George can just leave for the Lakers for nothing a year later.
Indiana could ask for Julius Randle who would be a restricted free agent a year from now anyway. If LA doesn’t want to pay him, that could be an easy piece to let go of. While Randle was plagued by foot injuries early in his career, he has played really well for the Lakers lately. Randle, 22, averaged 13.2 points per game in 2016-17.
Frankly, that’s about all the Pacers may be able to get in a potential trade. Los Angeles really has no incentive to deal for him when George has made it clear that he plans on joining the team in the summer of 2018. In fact, it’s probably in their best interest to not trade for George at all to make sure they have the assets in place when he arrives.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
This one is a no-brainer for the Pacers. If the Cavs offer a trade package involving Kevin Love they have to say yes. The motivation for Cleveland, of course, being in an attempt to dethrone those pesky Warriors.
Let’s face it, Kevin Love isn’t a perfect fit in the Cavs offense. Love led the league in rebounding with the Timberwolves in 2012-13 and really made a name for himself mean mugging in the post. While Love has worked his tail off to improve his shooting, he isn’t the second coming of Chris Bosh in LeBron’s isolation offense. This deal could potentially be a win-win for both parties as Love is obviously much more comfortable in the post instead of standing at the 3-point line waiting for LeBron to attack the basket and kick it outside.
I think Love is a better player than Paul George and it’s something Indiana needs to seriously consider. The Timberwolves version of Love is certain to return with a change scenery. Love, 28, is heading into his prime and gives the Pacers an All-Star level player for a rental. This is the best offer the Pacers can get realistically.
For Cleveland, George may be a better fit in some aspects or at least gives them a different look against the Warriors. George could be that Kevin Durant stopper the Cavs need and allows LeBron to transition into the post as he ages. His .393 percent clip from the arc also gives Cleveland that shooting trait they seem to covet so dearly. George’s transition into the Cavs offense seems rather painless and he has shown the ability to win in isolation and gives LeBron the perfect wing complimentary piece.