Kevin Pritchard Says Paul George Trade Could Happen at 'Anytime'

Paul George remains a member of the Indiana Pacers through the 2017 NBA draft, but team president Kevin Pritchard said the All-Star forward could still be dealt. 

Pritchard told reporters Thursday he didn't want to trade George before the draft and settle for what he thought might have been a lesser deal, per Fox 59 in Indianapolis:

"We have a lot of things still ongoing. Multiple things came up tonight that we looked at including draft picks, but at the end of the day, there's so much other stuff that don't include draft picks that we decided to stay put and look at everything that is on the board in the future."

Opting for a patient approach has its merits, and the last thing the Pacers want to do is settle for what is seemingly a one-sided trade.

The Minnesota Timberwolves confirmed they acquired Jimmy Butler and the No. 16 pick in the draft (Justin Patton) for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick (Lauri Markkanen).

Reaction to the deal from Bulls fans was overwhelmingly negative. CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli summed up the sentiment:

It's nearly impossible to receive fair value when trading away a star player, and the Pacers don't have a ton of leverage when it comes to negotiations involving George. The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he told Indiana he won't re-sign with the team, so the rest of the league knows the Pacers are working against a ticking clock.

Some may have argued trading George before the draft was the Pacers' best move. Indiana selected T.J. Leaf in the first round and Ike Anigbogu in the second. A George trade could've potentially netted the team another first- or second-round pick.

Instead, Pritchard may be prioritizing veterans who can help Indiana still compete in the short term while also looking at the bigger picture and building around Myles Turner and the duo of Leaf and Anigbogu.