When it comes to George, meanwhile, ESPN reported earlier Tuesday that the Indiana Pacers have commenced trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, who overwhelmingly rank as George's preferred destination as his own free agency looms in the summer of 2018. They don't have many assets to work with when it comes to facilitating a trade for George, but they do have Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, both of whom are All-Stars who would fit in well with the team's up-and-coming center Myles Turner.
The Cavaliers' interest in George, now dim at best, would stem from the fact he is a premier defender as well as an excellent scorer. George is from Southern California. According to Ric Bucher, the Pacers thought they could get some leverage by putting the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers in a bidding war against each other. While the four-time All-Star would prefer to be shipped to the Lakers, Indiana reportedly has discussed a potential deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just last week, at his celebrity softball game, George told reporters that "I'm under contract as a Pacer". On the other hand these could just be smokescreens by the Pacers to try and gain a little leverage in these negotiations.
Paul currently has a player option for the upcoming 2017-18 season and the Clippers are expected to make a strong pitch to the superstar point guard, especially with Jerry West now in the front office.
US shoots down drone close to Iraqi-Syrian border
Coalition forces use the area - just northeast of the Jordanian border - as a training and staging area for attacks against IS. The Defence Department issued a statement Tuesday saying ADF air operations had been suspended as a "precautionary measure".
George's declaration puts the Pacers on the spot. The Pacers are rumored to be asking for 2-First Rounders and a starter for George and that price may be too high for any team. Stories, guys talking, teams talking. The Lakers are beginning to make some moves in order to create a slot for George to fit in. It would take a winning situation and a promising future to even dream of keeping George past his current contract, but there are some teams that could think of taking the gamble. Acquiring George would be the flawless move - he'd improve the Cavs' defense and would give them an even bigger name than Kevin Love (more on him in a second) on the roster. However, the Cavaliers appear to be willing to acquire him without any assurances that he'll stay with them beyond next season.
Since the news of George's intent to depart for LA, other reports have surfaced that IN has begun searching for a trade partner that will essentially use George as a one-year rental, including Cleveland, Boston, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Comments