Paul George is not a regular name in NBA trade rumors because the Indiana Pacers stand firm in their decision to keep him.
Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird has often fended off any rumors about George as he definitively stated that they were not going to trade him. Not too many late lottery picks turn into All-NBA superstars. PG13 is basically a team's ultimate dream.
The only way for the Pacers to trade Paul George is if George himself demands a trade. For the past few years, that sounded outlandish and improbable but this season, there was an obvious show of frustration. It was mentioned by Shane Young. (h/t Blazers Edge)
"Maybe I'm just living in the past of how good we used to be-all the guys I had around. I'm still living in that moment maybe, and I got to put myself into a different team. Maybe I have to do more. Maybe that's just what it is. Maybe I have to do more now. But whatever it is, I'm going to figure it out," George said.
If the worst case scenario materializes, what would Larry Legend do? Who would be a talent that could measure up to PG13?
According to SLC Dunk, that's none other than Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz. The Jazz took Hayward 9th overall in 2010 while George was still available, and the Pacers took the opportunity. Hayward became a rotation player, just short of being an All-Star.
On the other hand, George has become a two-way superstar. The highlight of his career was their two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals where they fell short to the Miami Heat. But SLC Dunk contends that the gap may have narrowed, if not closed this season.
"After looking at all of the stats for the two players, I've come to one conclusion: They're so close to each other that I could very easily be convinced of some optical illusion in which they're actually the same person."
The knock on Hayward is that he will become a free agent next season. The Jazz are a promising team and GM Dennis Lindsey deserves a lot of credit, primarily for the trade that brought them George Hill-one of PG13's closest allies in those Pacer teams.
However, will that be enough to keep Hayward? Teams like the Boston Celtics would try to pry him away. If the Jazz feel like Hayward is not a lock and the Pacers get that dreaded trade demand, who knows? Indiana is Hayward's hometown and that could give them the confidence to roll the dice.