The NBA trade rumors continue as experts reveal their predictions for the NBA 2016-17 season and the Indiana Pacers may be headed for a crossroads.
The Indiana Pacers were once the main rival of LeBron James in their Miami Heat title teams, but now that team has virtually disbanded. The only significant holdover is superstar Paul George. Even head coach Frank Vogel has been replaced.
With the new regime of coach Nate McMillan, the jury is still out on how George will adapt. The team is on a virtual crossroad here-if they succeed early, then the observers will give them a fair shake. But ESPN Insider experts are not so optimistic specifically Jeremias Engelmann.
Engelmann points out the loss of point guard George Hill and center Ian Mahinmi. While the Pacers did get a former All-Star in Jeff Teague, Engelmann still believes that Indiana will "barely make the playoffs, if at all."
Engelmann continued: "That's an undesirable situation since you also don't get a good draft pick. The best solution might be to start over and, dare I say it, deal George."
If the Pacers struggle at the gate, the Pacers brass led by Larry Bird could consider looking towards the future. Bird has too much pride to tank like the Sixers did but the last time they had a lottery pick, they did well to pick Myles Turner whom they consider as a possible cornerstone for the franchise's future.
With a loaded draft class in 2017, the temptation may be too much to take. The Pacers don't need to tank, they simply need to trade away their superstar and let the chips fall. In that case, there are numerous teams who would like to get their shot.
Paul George to the Lakers is the trade that simply wouldn't die and there are good reasons for it. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer points out that "George was a Lakers fan who idolized Kobe Bryant while growing up in Palmdale, California, and even called the Lakers a 'family-favorite team' before extending his Pacers contract in 2013."
The default package if George is dealt to the Lakers is D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram, no less than the past two second overall picks. They are talented enough become a strong foundation in the future but won't be enough to take them to the playoffs. Russell, Ingram, Turner and a possible lottery pick is intriguing.
The Boston Celtics could hand them a top pick with the Brooklyn Nets' swap rights. For a certified superstar, Danny Ainge would not hesitate to include that in a package. The prized Jae Crowder may be expendable if they have George incoming and other forward centers like Kelly Olynyk could be included.
The Orlando Magic could be a sleeper candidate for George since they have their ace card Frank Vogel. Trading for George could convince Serge Ibaka to re-sign, making the Magic a solid Eastern contender.
The Magic has a cupboard full of young prospects: Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, Mario Hezonja and even newly-signed Evan Fournier could be used to build a suitable package for Larry Bird.