The Clippers Could Be A Dark Horse In The Paul George Trade Sweepstakes


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The NBA Draft is rapidly approaching and we’ve already seen the No. 1 overall pick get traded, but right now most basketball fans are more focused on the future of 27-year-old veteran Paul George right now than they are on the 19 to 21 year olds getting ready to enter the league. That’s because George reportedly told the Pacers over the weekend that he will be leaving the organization in free agency next summer, giving them time to change their approach to this offseason and see if they can find a trade partner in order to get some kind of return for him before he leaves.

The Pacers have wasted no time in making phone calls and are reportedly trying to get a deal done by Thursday’s draft. The Cavaliers have emerged as a potential suitor for George, mainly because they aren’t a team concerned with whether he would leave after this season. The biggest problem for the Pacers is finding a team willing to take on George with no guarantees of staying beyond next season who can offer them the return they desire, which is still a pretty steep price.

The Lakers aren’t interested in dealing for a player they feel they can sign in free agency next season, and the rest of the league will be wary of George going to L.A. in 2018. However, there is a second team in Los Angeles that might be willing to make a deal with the Pacers, if Indiana can wait until after July 1.

According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Clippers are interested in George and could try and make a deal with the Pacers involving a sign-and-trade with one of their current top free agents that is a free agent this summer — likely J.J. Redick. The Clippers have decisions to make involving Blake Griffin and, to a lesser extent Chris Paul (that’s more on whether Paul wants to stay, not the other way around), and if they could talk Redick into a big contract in Indiana, that could be the best current player that the Pacers could get for George, packaged with a pick or two.

It’s not exactly a the deal Indiana dreamed of last trade deadline, but the Pacers need to figure out how to recoup some form of value for George before he walks away from Indianapolis. Another intriguing potential trade partner for Indiana mentioned by Deveney was the Rockets, who, like the rest of the West, could use an additional weapon and a strong defensive wing player in their efforts to battle the Warriors. Eric Gordon or one of their younger rotational players and some future picks — although none this year — could get the job done there for an interesting one-year rental.

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