The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers continue to talk about a trade for Paul George, but only if the Celtics offer the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick.
Within the last 24 hours, the Indiana Pacers went from not shopping Paul George, not seriously shopping him, to getting much closer than anyone expected.
And now it appears, trade talks are getting even more serious.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics finally got around to offering the first round pick of the Brooklyn Nets, a team that will have the best odds at landing the number one overall pick this summer.
Sources: Boston, Indy had preliminary talk on Paul George, but there won't be real dialogue until/unless C's introduce Nets pick into deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
Update on Boston, Indy: Boston hasn't met Indiana's asking price on Paul George, but Nets pick has entered conversation now, sources say.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
While this still may be Indiana testing the waters for the summer or next year, this is the most serious we’ve seen these talks get.
The Celtics are loaded with assets they’ve build up over the past few years and now that they’re sitting in the second seed in the Eastern Conference, it makes sense for them to make a serious move for a player of Paul George’s caliber.
If the Indiana Pacers were to trade George, it would signal the need for a full rebuild as Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young, and C.J. Miles would all be in their 30s by the time Myles Turner was ready to be the face that runs the place. Indiana would have the assets to build a team for the 2020s, but it wouldn’t be ready to take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the next few years.
Can echo what @WindhorstESPN just said on @SportsCenter: More than a few rival teams out there think Boston has a shot at Paul George today.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 23, 2017
Pacers involved in talks with teams potentially to clear roster spots, sources say. Teams suspect might be related to Celtics talks
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 23, 2017
It is important to remember too that the Pacers front office would be stupid not to explore the trade market. Paul George isn’t guaranteed to be here in two seasons, so finding out his worth on the market is good business sense.
Next: That Time When O.J. Mayo Was Almost Traded to the Pacers
It isn’t fun for fans to wait out the trade deadline not knowing what the team’s prospects are for the future.