Let’s be honest. Paul George’s days in Indiana are numbered. Whether he’s traded this offseason or leaves in free agency next summer, it’s fairly obvious the Pacers star is on his way out the door.
In fact, George’s agent, Aaron Mintz, even told Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard last weekend that the four-time All-Star intends to opt out of his contract with the team next offseason, all but signaling the end of his run in Indiana. The news didn’t exactly go over well.
“It couldn’t have come at a worse time,” Pritchard told reporters Thursday at the end of the NBA draft, according to ESPN.com. “If we would have known this a few months ago, I think we could have been more prepared. Becoming public was a big issue.
“We want our players to want to be here, that’s important. It really is. When Paul said he didn’t, that’s a gut punch.”
George has been the subject of trade rumors for a while, with most assuming he’ll test unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018. But actually hearing that a player doesn’t want to stay with your franchise long term can be demoralizing, hence why Pritchard repeatedly referred to George’s intentions as a “gut punch.”
“For me it was a gut punch,” said Pritchard, who revealed he hasn’t spoken with George since being made aware of his plans. “It was a total gut punch, because we had many conversations over the summer about players that we’d like to add, a little bit of style that we’d like to play.”
There’s no shortage of interest in George, who’s coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 23.7 points per game in addition to 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. The Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards are among the teams that have expressed interest in trading for George, league sources have told ESPN in recent days.
The Pacers have yet to find a deal they like, though, and it could be difficult given that Indiana has very little leverage in negotiations. Teams know George wants out, yet there’s a chance he could be no more than a one-year rental for whichever team acquires him.
“It’s not ideal, but we didn’t put ourselves in it,” Pritchard said of the situation, per ESPN.com. “(George) did. I know he likes Indiana. I don’t think it’s that. I think we have to look at our scenarios, and it doesn’t mean we have to look today. We don’t want to have to be rushed. We want to be methodical in our decision-making. We’re going to look at everything.
“For Paul, it’s a situation as he looks at this, it’s not ideal, but it’s not ideal for us. We have to do what’s best for our organization.”
George might not be traded tomorrow, the next day or the day after that. But his exit is coming, and the Pacers evidently aren’t feeling too good about it.
Thumbnail photo via Logan Bowles/USA TODAY Sports Images
