The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t made much noise this NBA offseason, but they nearly were part of a blockbuster trade for one of the most coveted players in the league.
ESPN reported Sunday that a three-way trade among the Cavs, Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets was close to being finalized June 30, and it would have sent Paul George to Cleveland, Kevin Love to the Nuggets and Gary Harris and other pieces to Indiana. Ramona Shelburne, Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst explained in an ESPN piece Sunday how Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard put the kibosh on the deal at the very last minute.
“Plans were put in place for a call to be arranged between George and (Cavs GM Dan) Gilbert, an important step before the trade would become final, sources said,” the ESPN article reads. “The front office began making other plans to complement George as free agency was about to begin.
“But then Pritchard, who had been on the conference call when the deal was tentatively agreed to, sent the message that his team was backing out, sources said. There was no deal.”
The Pacers sent George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis that very same day. Pritchard might have been wary of sending George to a conference rival, or he could have simply liked the Thunder’s deal better, but either way, the Cavs were out of options.
The Cavs don’t have time to sit around and wonder what could have been, either. With star point guard Kyrie Irving reportedly wanting to be traded and LeBron James’ future in Cleveland uncertain after this season, the Cavaliers’ reign in the Eastern Conference could be fading quickly.
Things certainly are “peculiar” in Cleveland.
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images
