Paul George wavering on his Los Angeles Lakers plans for 2018?

Is Paul George still committed on going to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018? USA Today’s Sam Amick reports that isn’t as sure of a bet as it once was.

Magic Johnson wants you to believe Paul George is leaving the Indiana Pacers for the Los Angles Lakers, no matter if they trade him to another team this season or not.

The whole Lakers organization and fanbase wants you to believe it. Getting Paul George to join as a free agent is the best option for the Lakers. If they get Paul George without giving up assets, their rebuild picks up the pace as they look to lure even more free agents in.

But maybe Paul George isn’t dead set on playing for the Lakers, or more accurately, isn’t going to head for Los Angeles if he finds himself in a much better situation.

USA Today’s Sam Amick talked to someone with knowledge of the situation that says George isn’t closing any doors just yet.

"Hell-bent as he is on signing with the Lakers, George – according to a person with knowledge of his situation – is also the kind of prudent professional who won’t close a window of opportunity prematurely. So if the Cavs can convince Pritchard to either take on four-time All-Star forward Kevin Love or send him to a third team in exchange for more suitable assets, then George will play his heart out alongside LeBron James and remain open to the idea of re-signing next summer if James were also to return (or, perhaps, George could leave for Los Angeles with James at his side).Ditto for the Celtics or the San Antonio Spurs, teams that could fulfill George’s desire for title contention and thus put themselves in the running. And should the Lakers come along and trade for him early to ensure he doesn’t fall in love with another team, then so be it. The person spoke with USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation."

My bet is Paul George still ends up in Los Angeles, but we’ve talked before how there are multiple realities when it comes to PG’s future plans. George wants to play in Los Angeles, but he also wants to win. The Lakers appear a year or two away from being a contender (assuming they get big name free agents to join) in the Western Conference, and that’s two years of PG’s prime he would be waiting.

The Waiting Game for Paul George

The Lakers plan of waiting out the Pacers could come back to bite them, and the same could be said for the Boston Celtics as they wait to hear from Gordon Hayward before making their play for Paul George. There was pressure on the front office to make a move before or during the draft, but if a trade comes where Indiana gets young talent back in it, then missing out on the Lakers late first round picks will fade from memory.

Next: An open letter to Paul George

All of this is working out well for the Pacers as Kevin Pritchard is building leverage with these teams seeing that Indiana has options. The Pacers may not get a blockbuster, but if they get a fair return, then the front office did its job.