Paul George rumors: Lakers and Pacers are engaged in trade talks
A few days after it was reported that Paul George wants out of Indiana and his preferred destination is Los Angeles, the Lakers are engaged in talks with Indiana.
Home, sweet home! That’s what Paul George is likely thinking now. On Sunday, it was reported that the Pacers’ star wants out of Indiana and won’t re-sign with them when he’s a free agent in 2018.
Originally, the Pacers tried to get the Cavaliers involved in a potential trade, but it was reported that it would only be for a one-year rental. The Pacers did not reach out to the Lakers or the other way around either. Now, ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that the Lakers and Pacers are engaged in trade talks to get George to Los Angeles before the NBA Draft on Thursday.
League sources tell @RamonaShelburne and me: The Pacers and Lakers have engaged on Paul George trade talks in advance of Thursday's draft.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 20, 2017
Although many had assumed that George would be playing at home in 2018 and onwards, the likelihood of it happening this season was still pretty slim. But now it seems like there’s a chance that George could be in Purple and Gold before the end of the week.
Of course, there are other possibilities as well:
The Clippers, Rockets, Wizards and, yes, Cavs are among the teams that have also talked Paul George trades with Indiana, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 20, 2017
The biggest assets that the Lakers have and would be okay to trade is their No. 28 draft pick, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell. Here’s the major problem with that: George shares the same agent with those two players, so why would he want to be involved in a trade with them?
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The Lakers also have the No. 2 overall pick, so would they consider moving that for Paul George? The trade and what will be moved between the two teams is fascinating. There are a variety of options for the Indiana Pacers, but the Lakers are in a more difficult situation.
There’s a strong chance this occurs before the NBA Draft, which is on Thursday night. My prediction is that George is a Laker before Thursday, but what the Lakers have to give up in the process remains to be seen.