Examining potential landing spots for Paul George
Paul George’s career with the Pacers could be near its end. Simply put, he looks like a man who’s checking out. He’s frustrated with his teammates, with his coach, with his entire organization. Barring a major shakeup, I can’t imagine a scenario where he agrees to a long-term extension this offseason.
If George does indicate that he’s bolting (after next season), the Pacers have to do their due diligence and look into possible trades. Of course, they’ll have no shortage of suitors, but a proper deal needs to make sense for Indiana, for their partners, and for George. I doubt any team will trade for him without the knowledge that he’ll sign an extension.
With all that said, here are some options.
Trades that almost make sense (but don’t)
Where will Paul George wind up?
(7) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
the trade
SF Paul George for PF Blake Griffin
would the Pacers say yes?
Losing a superstar like Paul George would be difficult, but shipping one in to replace him would certainly take the edge off. On the court, Blake Griffin makes a lot of sense with Myles Turner — who’s more of a spacer than DeAndre Jordan.
would the Clippers say yes?
I believe so. Paul George and Blake Griffin are comparable talents, but George is a better fit for their roster. He can play anywhere from SG to SF to PF and offer better spacing for Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.
would Paul George say yes?
I believe so as well. He grew up in Southern California, so the prospects of competing for a title with the Clips would be hard to pass up.
would BLAKE GRIFFIN say yes?
Ahh, here’s the rub. It almost felt too good to be true, and that’s because it is. Blake Griffin has his own player option, so he’ll control his destiny as well. Is there any chance that he’ll agree to go to Indiana — if they don’t have Paul George? No. Absolutely not. Sorry, the dream here is dead.
(6) LOS ANGELES LAKERS
the trade
SF Paul George for PG D’Angelo Russell and cap filler (Tarik Black, Corey Brewer)
would the Pacers say yes?
The team may prefer the Lakers’ draft pick (if it’s in the top 3), but Russell isn’t a bad compromise. He hasn’t shown the superstar potential that had people comparing him to James Harden, but he should eventually develop into a good scoring guard. It’s not an ideal trade for the Pacers, but it’s not ridiculous.
would the Lakers say yes?
Here’s where we hit a snag already. I’m sure Magic Johnson and the Lakers would love to lure in Paul George — they may even throw in someone like Julius Randle to do it.
But the problem with these scenarios is — why now? Why wouldn’t the Lakers simply wait until Paul George is a free agent and grab him then? In that circumstance, they could keep all their young talent as well. The timing doesn’t quite make sense at the moment, from their perspective.
would Paul George say yes?
Presumably, George would be happy to be a Laker, but I’m not sure he’d be happy to be with these Lakers. Some roster juggling would have to happen. Again, it makes more sense as a free agent destination in 2018 than a trade destination now.
(5) DALLAS
the trade
SF Paul George for SF Harrison Barnes
would the Pacers say yes?
Maybe. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Harrison Barnes is a poor man’s Paul George at best — but at least he’s under contract for a while. Still growing into himself at 24 years old, he can be a decent second banana for a rebuilding franchise. If the Mavericks threw in their top 10 pick, that may seal the deal.
would the Mavericks say yes?
I believe so. The team wants to rebuild, but Paul George is young enough to do that.
would Paul George say yes?
Here’s where I’d start to doubt this scenario the most. The Mavericks are a first class organization (and Rick Carlisle is a great coach), but this roster would be a long way away from being a contender. If the Mavericks had some follow up moves up their sleeve to land another veteran star, this would make more sense. I wouldn’t rule it past Mark Cuban, but we’d need to see some of those dominos laid out first.
(4) MILWAUKEE
the trade
SF Paul George for PF Jabari Parker and C Greg Monroe
would the Pacers say yes?
I like Greg Monroe as a player, but he’s only included as a cap filler on the presumption that he’ll opt out of his contract. The real “haul” here is Jabari Parker. Parker has shown a developing three-point shot, which was the last piece in his arsenal preventing him from becoming a star player. Right now, the biggest question mark around him is his durability (and his defense.)
Still, Parker is 22 and loaded with potential. Personally, I’d still prefer him to D’Angelo Russell as far as young stars go. He seems coachable, and would also be a solid fit as a stretch PF alongside Myles Turner. It’d certainly send the Pacers into a deep rebuild, but at least they’d have some talent to play with.
would the Bucks say yes?
I believe so. Jabari’s a promising talent, but he’s always going to be a slightly odd fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Paul George may duplicate some of Khris Middleton‘s skill set, but you can never have too many rangy shooters.
would Paul George say yes?
Here’s where I say “no” to this deal. Paul George may like Jason Kidd and the Greek Freak, but would he like playing in Milwaukee? Possibly as a second fiddle to Giannis? I imagine he has his eyes on a bigger market and a more marquee franchise.
Trades that make the most sense
(3) CLEVELAND
the trade
SF Paul George for PF Kevin Love
would the Pacers say yes?
I think so. Kevin Love isn’t as good as Paul George as a two-way player, and he’s a little bit older (at 28), but he has the benefit of being on a long-term contract. Love would give the Pacers a signature star to build around (even if building around him didn’t exactly work in Minnesota.) He’d also fit well with Myles Turner in the front court.
This trade isn’t exactly a home run for the Pacers (who may prefer younger talent), which knocks it down a spot or two.
would the Cavs say yes?
This depends on how they do in the playoffs. If they get smoked by the Warriors (as I suspect they might), then big changes like this could be in order.
Kevin Love helps the Cavaliers in terms of rebounding, but offensively he’s used largely for spacing. Paul George can do a better job of that. George is also a better wing defender, which would come in handy if they happen to match up with the Warriors again. The Cavs could play George at SF, and LeBron at PF, and have a heck of a chance to keep pace with the Dubs.
would Paul George agree?
I doubt Paul George envisions himself as a second (or third) banana, but it’d be very hard to pass up a sure chance at the Finals.
(2) PORTLAND
the trade
SF Paul George for SG C.J. McCollum
would the Pacers say yes?
Sure. The Pacers would hate to give up Paul George, but in this scenario, they’d get back a young star with a ton of scoring potential. McCollum averaged 23.0 points a game with Damian Lillard by his side — imagine how many he could average on his own. The fact that McCollum is locked up on a long-term contract would help sell this for them.
would the Blazers say yes?
I believe they would, reluctantly, presuming George would agree to an extension. McCollum has been a vital piece for them, but there’s always going to be some “duplication” there next to Lillard, and some limitations of the pair on defense.
George, meanwhile, could slide right in at small forward and be an excellent complement to Lillard. This move would also allow Allen Crabbe to jump into the starting lineup at SG, giving the team more minutes with his plus shooting.
would Paul George say yes?
I don’t think Portland would be his ideal destination, but Paul George would at least have to think long and hard about this one. Lillard’s a stud, and coach Terry Stotts is well-respected. Combined with solid role players like Crabbe and Jusuf Nurkic, and the Blazers could have a young core with a fighting chance to advance a few rounds in the West.
(1) BOSTON
the trade
SF Paul George for SF Jae Crowder and the Brooklyn pick (and cap filler)
would the Pacers say yes?
The Celtics have so much trade ammunition that you can play around with variations of this — including players like Avery Bradley and Jaylen Brown if you want.
But as long as that Brooklyn pick is included, the Pacers would almost have to accept it. If you think Paul George is leaving next summer, you need a young star to build around. Either Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball would be a great building block and would pair well with Myles Turner to serve as your franchise cornerstones.
would the Celtics say yes?
Even if the Celtics come back from 0-2 to squeak by the Bulls (which I still suspect they will), they probably won’t make it to the Finals this year. A shakeup like this may be necessary, presuming the trade package doesn’t get out of control.
The team can talk themselves into the long-term approach and drafting Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, but either version of that may ultimately require them to flip Isaiah Thomas to make the fit work. Is there any way the team can do that, PR wise? Thomas is a beloved Celtic right now.
Acquiring another veteran star like Paul George is a much easier sell for Danny Ainge. George is so versatile that he can slide right into the lineup and give them a secondary scoring that they need. The Celts’ biggest problem may be rebounding, but George’s defense and size (for his position) can help with that.
would Paul George say yes?
I don’t know if Boston is Paul George’s ideal city, but it’d be hard to say “no” to this situation. You have a strong team, a strong coach, and a strong chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals. For George, that’d be an immediate upgrade.
