From 2010 to 2017, Paul George led the Indiana Pacers as their top star. During his time in Indiana, George was a four-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA selection, an Olympic gold medalist, and an MVP candidate, Additionally, the California native took home the NBA's Most Improved Player award in 2013 and took the team to two Eastern Conference Finals. After a rough end to his Pacers stint, the team traded George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in 2017.
Since the trade, George also spent time with the Los Angeles Clippers before leaving this past offseason. Though it was never deemed a legitimate possibility, some Pacers fans pondered the thought of the Pacers bringing George back to the team. Ultimately, it never happened as he joined the Philadelphia 76ers instead.
While a George-Pacers reunion is not on the horizon (and likely will never happen), it is still an interesting hypothetical to think about. Matt Levine of SI.com recently drew up a mock trade that would bring George back to the organization seven years later.
Pacers trade for Paul George from 76ers in recent mock trade
From a strictly basketball perspective, this does make some sense for Indiana. They get the best player in the trade who, when healthy, is one of the NBA's best two-way players. Furthermore, they move on from Myles Turner, who is on an expiring contract, Obi Toppin, who is part of the team's logjam in the frontcourt, and Aaron Nesmith, who provides value in a hypothetical trade.
There are a few problems with this trade for the Pacers, however. The biggest and most obvious one is George's health. For the last few seasons, the Fresno State alum has missed many games due to injuries. So far in the 2024-25 season, George has already missed nine games and has suffered two knee injuries since the preseason. This makes any trade involving George risky for the team acquiring him.
Furthermore, this trade could backfire for the Pacers as they do not have a clear replacement for Turner on the roster. Moses Brown has looked solid with the team in the minutes he has gotten, but he has not shown enough to justify naming him Turner's replacement. Additionally, though he is traditionally a forward, Toppin plays some small-ball center for the Pacers, which makes their depth even slimmer in this hypothetical trade.
Lastly, while George is a better player than Nesmith, the 25-year-old is a fantastic player on a team-friendly contract. He fits the Pacers' timeline better than George does as he is also a valuable asset for the long run.
There are reasons to like this trade for the Pacers, but it is too risky for the team to make. Not to mention that many fans still have not forgiven George for the way he handled his exit. There is upside for both teams in this deal, but it does not make much sense for either of them.
Trade grades
Pacers grade: B-
76ers grade: B-