The Indiana Pacers are increasingly likely to move star forward Paul George this summer after he reportedly informed the team that he had no intention of committing to them long-term. A trade makes perfect sense for the Pacers; they should get something for him while they can.
Where will George go, though? Teams would be committing to a rental, more or less, but the Pacers will still ask a high price.
Here are five potentially sensible destinations for George — and why such a deal may or may not happen.
This is George’s preferred destination in free agency. It’s also a team with a gifted young core and a bright future. There would definitely be some appeal in bringing someone like George in right now. Such a move could ensure that the team is poised to take a significant step forward. Let’s also keep in mind that team president Magic Johnson may have the urge to make a big, dramatic move less than six months into his tenure.
The reality, however, is a bit different.
If, as has been widely reported, George wants to be a Laker in 2018, there’s no reason for Los Angeles to part with valuable assets — particularly ones with bright futures — just to get George a year early. They’re not close enough to contention to justify it. The Lakers know as much, and it seems unlikely that they’ll change their stance unless they’re given reason to believe his desire to play close to home for the Lakers is fading.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News on Monday floated the Rockets as a potential destination for George. From a pure basketball standpoint, such a move would make sense. Houston is a team on the rise, already likely to make the playoffs, and they may feel that the addition of another superstar to play alongside James Harden — and an elite wing defender on a team known more for their offense — could allow them to challenge the Golden State Warriors for supremacy in the Western Conference.
Could the Rockets meet the price tag? They do have future first-round picks, but none in 2017. They have young talent that could start in this league, but it’s hard to see the likes of Clint Capela, while useful, developing into superstars for the Pacers to build around. Indiana will have to balance the desire for a huge return with the knowledge that teams aren’t going to pay top dollar for what might be a rental in George, but the Rockets may not fit their needs.
Right city, wrong team for George, but still an intriguing possibility. A potential sign-and-trade deal was floated here, as the Clippers enter the offseason with Chris Paul, JJ Redick, and Blake Griffin all set to enter free agency. You’d have to figure that the Pacers would definitely be intrigued by some of those names, Griffin in particular.
The real question is why would Paul or Griffin want to go to Indiana? One, if not both, could be back with the Clippers, and even if they aren’t, it’s hard to imagine Indiana being a top destination for either of them. It seems like a move the Clippers would make only if they were certain one of their stars was leaving, and even then, they’d be getting George for a year before running the risk of losing him to their cross-town rivals. It just seems too risky and far-fetched all around.
It’s no secret that the Celtics would love to get their hands on George. Reports indicated that they tried very hard to pull off a move for him at the trade deadline, but the Pacers ultimately shut down talks and nothing further came of it. Now, with George available and the Celtics seemingly willing to make a splash, it’s only logical that they would at least check in on the star forward. The temptation will be that the Cleveland Cavaliers are vulnerable just as the Celtics are finding their footing. Not only that, but the Celtics have the picks to at least make the Pacers think about it, particularly after trading down from the No. 1 overall pick in 2017.
Boston ultimately may want to acquire someone who will commit long term, though, and there’s no indication that George would do that for the Celtics. A plan like this, in which the team would get two established stars in the fold for more than a year, could work out better for an organization that is not all-in on a simple one-year plan.
At the end of the day, LeBron James wants to win. It matters little how he wins or who he wins with, but it’s no secret that there is a healthy amount of mutual respect between James and George. There is also a motivation to try to upstage the Golden State Warriors. No team is in win-now mode more than the Cavaliers are, and James turns 33 in December. This is not a long-term project. It is a now project. For that reason, the Cavs care a bit less that George may end up being, essentially, a one-and-done player for them.
The problem is matching up with Indiana. The Cavs wouldn’t want to give up Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love in a George deal, but can’t take on salary without shedding some. They don’t really have a ton of young pieces or draft picks that would appeal to Indiana, meaning they’d likely have to seek out a third team to make it happen. If they could, though, they clearly make the most sense. It’s an organization with immediate title aspirations and no real regard for what it means a couple years down the road.
