Paul George rumors: Lakers trying to trade Randle, Clarkson and picks

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to pursue a trade of Paul George, even after dealing D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this afternoon.

Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers have been extremely busy this afternoon. They make the first important trade of this offseason, sending D’Angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov — and his insane contract — to the Brooklyn Nets for the 27th overall draft pick and Brook Lopez.

In the process, the Lakers cleared out nearly $54 million of salary cap space — enough to sign PG13 in the summer of 2018. But the Lakers don’t want to wait another year to land Paul George and bring him home. Magic and the Lakers are trying to get the Pacers’ star right now via trade, per Marc Stein of ESPN.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Indiana wanted the No. 2 overall pick from Los Angeles in return for George, but the Lakers refused to do that deal. Now it seems as if the Lakers are sold on giving up their other young players, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, for his services.

Los Angeles also had the 28th pick in the draft and added the 27th pick, via the Brooklyn trade. Will all four of these assets be enough to bring PG13 home? I still don’t think so. I think that Cleveland’s offer — if it were to include Kevin Love  — should trump anything that the Lakers are to offer.

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On the other hand, if PG13 were to wait a year, Los Angeles would now have the cap space to sign him and another max-salary player in the process. Regardless, Magic Johnson’s Tuesday has been a helluva lot busier, as a result of all these NBA trade rumors. Let’s see if Paul George is a Laker by the end of the night.