The Cleveland Cavaliers do not currently have the draft capital that the Indiana Pacers would be seeking in a trade for Paul George, but the two sides have reportedly discussed the possibility of getting a third team involved.
According to Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN, the Cavs, Pacers and Denver Nuggets have discussed a potential three-team trade that would send George to Cleveland and Kevin Love to Denver.
Reporting with @chrisbhaynes: League sources say Cleveland continues to pursue a Paul George trade, with Denver as the potential third team
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 25, 2017
League sources: Cavs, Pacers and Nuggets have discussed a three-way deal that would land Paul George in Cleveland and Kevin Love in Denver
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 25, 2017
Three-team deals are typically complicated, so there are likely several hurdles the teams would have to clear to come to an agreement that suited everyone’s needs. However, the Pacers have openly said that they are motivated to trade George now that he has informed them he will not sign an extension.
The Los Angeles Lakers remain the favorite to land George when he opts out of his contract next summer, but the Cavs would probably be willing to risk only “renting” the 27-year-old swingman for a season. If George goes to Cleveland and the Cavaliers end up winning a championship or coming close, there’s a chance he could be convinced to sign an extension.
One other team that is interested in George has plenty of draft capital and reportedly believes George would sign an extension. The Pacers will take as much time as they need to identify the best possible deal.
