The Pacers are trying their best to move Paul George and move him quickly, according to reports, after their star told them that he would not re-sign with them next offseason. Indiana has been scrambling to get a deal together to ship George out and kickstart a rebuild in the form of future draft picks while still getting a starting caliber player in return to keep things at least somewhat together in the meantime.
The problem for Indiana is in creating a sense of urgency for teams to try and land George. The Pacers’ star reportedly has his eyes on a homecoming with the Lakers next summer, and the prospects of only having him for one season certainly diminishes his trade value. So, if you’re the Pacers, how do you make teams want to give up more?
By pitting them against each other, of course. We’ve heard a flurry of rumors about who the Pacers are talking to, and for many of them, the conversations have been initiated by Indiana. On Tuesday, Bleacher Reports’ Ric Bucher reported that part of Indiana GM Kevin Pritchard’s plan to get something for George was to pit the two Finals combatants against each other in a bidding war.
Pritchard, league sources said, immediately tried to create a bidding war between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers by intimating to both teams that the other was interested in George.
I absolutely love the idea of creating panic in Cleveland by trying to convince the Cavs that if they don’t trade for George the Warriors will and only further the gap between them. It’s brilliant, but it appears as though the Cavs weren’t biting on it, especially considering the only two players the Warriors could deal for George and match salaries are Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, which both seem highly unlikely to be moved right after the championship.
The Cavs have since moved on to Jimmy Butler and the Bulls, but the Pacers are still plugging away with trade talks around the league. Most recently the Lakers, George’s preferred destination in 2018, have emerged as the team in discussions with Indiana.
