One of the reasons Paul George was so difficult to move before the NBA trade deadline is that there are reportedly only two teams he is interested in playing for — his current one and the Los Angeles Lakers.
George is under contract with the Indiana Pacers through the 2017-2018 season. After that, it is all but certain that he will opt out of the final year of his deal and either sign a massive extension or hit the free agent market. If the latter happens, George apparently already knows where he is heading.
I repeat: Paul George – barring a title chance in Indy – is hell-bent on heading for Laker Land. This message has been sent throughout NBA.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 23, 2017
George grew up in the L.A. area, so his desire to play for the Lakers is not a surprise. He has said publicly that his priority is to win with the Pacers, and remaining in Indiana would become a much more viable option if George makes one of the three NBA All-Pro teams this year. That would allow the Pacers to offer him the designated player exception and pay him roughly $212 million over six years. Other teams could only offer $123 million over four seasons.
At least one team reportedly made a massive offer for George at the trade deadline, but the swingman’s unwillingness to play for that team long-term stood in the way of a deal. All indications have been that George has his sights set on La-La land.
