Pacers set high asking price for Paul George
The Paul George saga continues to dominate headlines as the Indiana Pacers still haven’t received s trade proposal of interest to them. Reports suggest their front office, led by Kevin Pritchard, are demanding a huge load of assets in return for their All-Star forward but how realistic an ambition that is, remains to be seen.
According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, Indiana is demanding two draft picks and a starter on the team from any franchise which calls regarding the availability of George. For the Celtics, that would seem a do-able deal, as they have a ton of picks over the next few years. Seeing Jae Crowder or Avery Bradley depart wouldn’t be easy but in terms of making the salaries work and fixing a logjam for minutes, it would have to happen.
However, the 2019 Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers picks the Celtics currently own wouldn’t be enough to entice Indiana into a deal. The Pacers are eyeing up the 2018 Brooklyn Nets pick that Boston hold very dear, and for just a possible year rental of George, Danny Ainge is unlikely to even fathom agreeing to those requests.
Of course, the drama deepens even further as the Los Angeles Times report that George still has his heart set on Los Angeles, which makes Indiana’s negotiation stance even weaker. George is no doubt a talented player, but giving up that much for a guy who may not even be here in a year’s time would be ludicrous. With how Ainge has handled his business in the last few years, it’s hard to see him ever signing off on such a deal.
To add even more intrigue to the story, the Pacers are hiring Chad Buchanan as General Manager. Maybe he can let his new colleagues know that they aren’t getting two top five picks for George?
Credit to Sam Forencich/ Getty Images (top) & Ronald Martinez (bottom) for the photo