Paul George Reportedly to Target Lakers in Free Agency After Not Being Traded
While he will remain with the Indiana Pacers now that the NBA trade deadline has passed, Paul George apparently remains interested in joining the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sam Amick of USA Today provided the latest info:
The wing was the subject of rampant trade talks, but ESPN's Marc Stein reported that while Pacers ownership "felt compelled" to listen to trade offers, team president Larry Bird was "determined" to keep George on the roster.
George is from California originally. Although he won't be a free agent until after the 2017-18 season, his intentions of moving on are clear.
The 26-year-old was the subject of multiple trade rumors Thursday before the 3 p.m. ET deadline, including from the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical and Marc Stein of ESPN.
However, Chris Haynes of ESPN noted one of the holdups was George's interest in the Lakers. He reportedly "won't commit long-term" aside from with Indiana or Los Angeles.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News noted that while the Lakers were involved in trade talks, it's "more likely" the team will wait for him in free agency in 2018.
The four-time All-Star is currently averaging 22.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. While the Lakers aren't in contention yet, he could be a quality fit alongside the young core in two years. George could also represent the type of marketable superstar needed in Los Angeles to replace Kobe Bryant.
