Indiana Pacers Rumors: Will Larry Bird's Departure Impact Paul George's Future With the Team?
Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan seems pretty confident that Paul George would re-sign with the team during an interview with the Indianapolis Star last week. But he made that statement before team president Larry Bird decided to step down from his post.
Now that Bird is no longer calling the shots in Indiana, how will the Pacers handle the situation with George? His replacement, Kevin Pritchard, is more than capable of leading the front office since he used to serve as the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers. But will Bird's sudden departure impact George's future with the team?
Sure, a lot of observers have speculated that George probably wants to move on to another team now that Bird is gone. But his exit shouldn't really matter.
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"Even if Larry Bird had remained, staying on board as the Indiana Pacers basketball president rather than stepping aside as he did Friday when general manager Kevin Pritchard took the reins, the team's Paul George problem would have remained," USA Today's Sam Amick said in his report.
"Whether in free agency two summers from now or via trade before then, the four-time All-Star is still hell-bent on joining the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe now more than ever," he continued. "By all accounts, Bird's decision to step aside has no impact on how George sees the Pacers situation," he added.
That's right. Bird leaving doesn't change a thing. Pritchard will have to answer the same questions that have been troubling the front office with Bird in charge. Will he continue the plan to build a team around George? Or will he decide to blow things up since they can't seem to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference?
George can opt out of his contract and become a free agent after the 2017–18 season, so the Pacers will have to decide if they are willing to take the risk.
