INDIANAPOLIS -- It's not a matter of if, but now when Paul George goes to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers.
Reports surfaced Tuesday that the Pacers were engaged in trade talks with the Lakers to send George out west in advance of the NBA Draft on Thursday.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, who reports on the Lakers, and Marc Stein both caught wind of the talks through league sources.
Stein's sources told him that it's unclear if a deal would actually get done before the draft. The Pacers want LA's No. 2 pick, but the Lakers have been adamant about their desire to keep and use that pick.
George informed the Pacers earlier this week that he intended to enter free agency after this upcoming season, and all indications are that he would sign with his hometown Lakers. George is from Southern California.
And while the Lakers are confident they'll see George in 2018, an advanced trade deal would secure him from the risk of signing with another team this year and being convinced to stay past the last year of his contract.
On the flip side, the Pacers need to get what they can for George now that he has announced his intentions to the league, and an early trade to the Lakers seems to make the most sense with any other team unlikely to give much up for only a one-year rental of George.
League sources tell @RamonaShelburne and me: The Pacers and Lakers have engaged on Paul George trade talks in advance of Thursday's draft.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 20, 2017
The Clippers, Rockets, Wizards and, yes, Cavs are among the teams that have also talked Paul George trades with Indiana, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 20, 2017
