Paul George (Photo : Getty Images)
Paul George isn't expected to become available before the February 23 trade deadline, but teams are reportedly keeping tabs on the Indiana Pacers star, with the team struggling early in the season.
The Indiana Pacers trading Paul George has become a trend around the league, with the team's poor start to the season. While the Pacers have flatly denied they are willing to shop George in the foreseeable future, ESPN's Marc Stein believes teams are calling for the availability of the All-Star forward.
"I can't say that I've heard that the Pacers would entertain anything, but if other teams are asking the question I think you can safely assume they are calling the Pacers," Stein told Zach Lowe of the Lowe Post.
"Larry Bird has been very open about "We'd like to sign Paul George to an extension" and without outright saying it there is nothing going on there. Paul George has kind of made it clear that he's really not interested in an extension."
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor explored a few months ago the possibility of trading George. According to O'Connor, the Pacers could be in a "dangerous situation" of losing the 26-year-old forward if Indiana fails to reach the postseason in their 2016-2017 campaign.
"Indiana could be on the cusp of a total rebuild if things don't go according to plan, making George a tradable star. It's not a scenario the Pacers want to contemplate, but other teams are keeping tabs," O'Connor wrote.
It is unclear which teams would have interest in trading for George, but there are notable ones who should consider offering packages to the Pacers.
Miami Heat
The Heat lost the star powers they have during the offseason, when the team decided to cut ties with Chris Bosh and let Dwyane Wade walk away in free agency. Miami is now left with young talents led by Hassan Whiteside, but it is unlikely their core of youngsters bring the franchise back to contending titles.
Trading for George would put Miami back atop the league's pecking order, although it would likely cost the Heat the likes of Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and Tyler Johnson.
New Orleans Pelicans
Despite Anthony Davis posting video game numbers, the Pelicans still find themselves on the bottom half of the power rankings en route to becoming another lottery team. Davis badly needs another star to help turn the Pelicans into contenders, and George could be the player New Orleans need to pursue.
It remains to be seen whether New Orleans would develop a genuine interest in pursuing a deal for George, but expect Davis to be the only untouchable in any potential deal.
Boston Celtics
It is no secret the Celtics are looking for another star to help them return to contending titles. According to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge continues to seek major trades for Boston.
"From all indications speaking to team sources around the league, Danny Ainge is still after the major trades the C's president of basketball operations knows are needed. And no doubt he's loving each story calling the 2017 draft one of the deepest and most talent-laden in many years, understanding that such talk could raise the value of the Nets' pick that can be theirs," Bulpett wrote.
Even with the addition of Al Horford, the Celtics are not expected to turn out as legit title contenders this season, but trading for George would speed up that process. With plenty of tradable assets, including young talents, expiring deals and the Brooklyn Nets' pick, the Celtics have a great chance of prying George away from Indiana.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are beginning to show signs of greatness once again, thanks to the brilliance of Luke Walton and Los Angeles' pack of young talents. But according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, making the franchise great again requires the presence of a proven star like George.
"Assuming the Lakers don't fall back into the desperation-fueled trap of chasing stars and make a bad trade just to get a little better sooner-bear in mind executive vice president Jim Buss put his job on the line by promising contention by the end of this season-the Lakers will be good again. Maybe even great," Ding wrote.
"Yes, perhaps the latter will require something such as a Paul George signing in 2018 or Klay Thompson signing in 2019, but the Lakers have learned the hard way that free agents want to join something that has already been built to win."
George, a California native, grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant and played college basketball at Fresno State. The Lakers have a plethora of young talents in D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, whom they could package for George and would be essential for the Pacers' rebuild.
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