Indiana Pacers Rumors: Paul George Reportedly Told Former Teammates He Wants to Play for the Lakers
This is going to be a long offseason for the Indiana Pacers.
The team was supposed to be one of the top contenders in the Easter Conference. Unfortunately, they struggled all season long and they had to scratch and claw their way into the postseason. It was already clear they were no match against the elite teams in the conference, but they still have a slim chance of winning. Well, things went from bad to worse when they got swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
Their best player, Paul George, has expressed his frustrations with the team this season and he was noncommittal when he was asked if he wants to stay in Indiana.
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George has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers for months now, and according to Sporting News' Mitch Lawrence, the All-Star forward has even talked about his desire to join the Lakers with his ex-teammates.
"A SoCal native, he's been talking about playing for his hometown team, the Lakers, for a long time. He's never made his long-term intentions a secret within the Pacers' locker room, according to former teammates. He wants to wear the purple and gold," Lawrence said in his report.
Lakers president Magic Johnson has recently talked about acquiring a superstar this summer and George should be one of his primary targets. He even went on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and joked about how he would avoid tampering if he ran into George.
"We're going to say hi, because we know each other. You just can't say, 'Hey, I want you to come to the Lakers,' even though I'm going to be wink-winking like [blinks repeatedly]. You know what that means, right?" Johnson said during the interview.
Will George demand a trade this summer? Or will the Pacers decide that they may as well revamp the roster since they can't seem to win with him on the team?
George still has two years remaining on his contract, but the final season is a player option.
