The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t done much to bolster their roster this offseason, but they reportedly almost made a major move.
The Cavs’ interest in swingman Paul George was well documented before he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but before the Indiana Pacers decided to deal the four-time All-Star to OKC, they reportedly were very close to shipping George to their Eastern Conference rivals.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday on “The Jump” that the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions were ready to pull the trigger on a deal for George on June 30.
“Koby Altman was very close to a deal on June 30 for Paul George,” Wojnarowski said. “It was so close in fact that Indiana was about to give permission to Paul George to get on the phone with Dan Gilbert. Indiana backed out of it and did the Oklahoma City deal.”
If the Cavs had acquired the star forward, there’s a good chance that LeBron James would not be upset with Clevland’s front office, and rumors of him jumping ship after the 2017-18 NBA season might have died down.
But the Pacers elected to ship George to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, leaving the Cavs searching for ways to improve the NBA’s oldest roster in order to maximize their remaining time with James.
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
