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While the talks of a Paul George trade to the Los Angeles Lakers has died down since the NBA Draft, that’s apparently not a sign that the team has halted talks.
On Sunday, rumors surfaced that the Cavaliers and Nuggets were engaged in talks with the Pacers on a three-team deal. While the talks died down and amounted to “nothing serious,” ESPN’s Marc Stein’s report on the trade revealed the Lakers are still in pursuit.
Although no trade for George came to fruition last week, sources say that both the Rockets and the Lakers remain determined to keep pushing for their George deals. It’s widely believed that the Celtics, meanwhile, want to sign a marquee free agent this summer, such as Utah’s Gordon Hayward, and trade for George.
It appears the Lakers have not slowed their pursuit of George. The most recent update prior to Sunday’s suggested the Pacers were less likely to make a trade. The Lakers reportedly offered the 27th and 28th picks in the NBA Draft as well as either Julius Randle or Jordan Clarkson for George prior to Draft night.
With each passing day, the Pacers lose more and more leverage in any George trade talks. With George stating his intention to leave the team in the summer of 2018 and that he will be a rental to any team as he prefers to join the Lakers, every day he’s a Pacer is one less day he’ll be on his new team for 2017-18.
With just a week until the start a free agency, the news will likely not be going away anytime soon, or at least until George is traded.
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