Paul George Trade Rumors: Pacers Assessing Market for All-Star Forward

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly surveying the trade market before Thursday's deadline to see whether star forward Paul George could bring them a package of assets to jump-start a potential rebuild.

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported Wednesday the Pacers are doing a lot of work to see whether they can acquire talent to surround George or if they'd be better off selling him to the highest bidder with an eye toward retooling the roster with center Myles Turner as the foundation.

Along with the Pacers' two possible directions, the 26-year-old California native's future plans are another variable in the equation.

George has one more guaranteed year on his contract with a $19.5 million cap hit for the 2017-18 season, according to Spotrac. He owns a player option for the following year and has considered both staying in Indiana and joining his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers, per Wojnarowski.

If the Pacers are concerned he could bolt after next season, moving him now makes a lot of sense because the expected return would be higher. Teams are more willing to give up valuable pieces for a game-changer under contract than one who's merely a late-season rental.

George hasn't publicly committed to staying in Indiana beyond next season should the team keep him. The four-time All-Star told Marc Stein on ESPN Radio that being able to challenge for titles will be a major consideration moving forward.

"Say what you want; I want to compete for something," he said. "It's frustrating just playing the game for stats or for numbers or to showcase yourself. Man, I want a chance to play for a chance to win a championship."

George added: "I wanted to be the first and want to be the first to be able to bring a championship to Indiana. So that's still on my mind ... and something I definitely want to achieve in Indiana."

He's averaging 22.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals for Indiana through 50 games this season. He ranks eighth among small forwards in player efficiency rating, three spots below Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, another player involved deadline banter.

If Indiana moves George to a contender—the Boston Celtics and their ownership of the Brooklyn Nets' first-round draft pick continue to loom for a potential blockbuster—it could shake up the balance of power in the NBA behind the Golden State Warriors.