Paul George Trade Rumors: Spurs, Blazers 'Serious Players' in Race for Star
The San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly become the latest teams to make a serious push for Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George via trade.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders provided the latest update ahead of the 2017 NBA draft Thursday night and noted the Spurs possess a "real shot" to land the coveted star.
However, the Trail Blazers' offer didn't "move the needle" for the Pacers, per Jason Quick of CSSNW.com
Although George wouldn't be against a move to San Antonio, he also isn't prepared to make a long-term commitment to the organization if traded there this offseason, per Kyler. The fact it could become a one-year rental surely impacts the price the Spurs would be willing to pay.
The Kawhi Leonard-led squad has been looking to add more star power to its roster after getting swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com noted longtime Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul would give the Spurs "serious consideration" in free agency. Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog added the team has also been in contact with the New York Knicks about Kristaps Porzingis.
Meanwhile, the Blazers feature one of the league's top backcourt tandems in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but remain in need of more production from the forward and center spots.
George would certainly provide that. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range for the Pacers last season. He also ranked sixth among qualified small forwards in Player Efficiency Rating.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported earlier Thursday the Minnesota Timberwolves were another team showing interest in George.
The biggest question remains exactly how much the Pacers can command in return for a player with one guaranteed year left in his current contract. A bidding war between multiple teams would go a long way in generating a big return.
