Indiana Pacers NBA Trade Rumors: Pacers Willing to Trade Draft Pick to Give Paul George a Better Supporting Cast
Paul George's name may have been linked to the Boston Celtics earlier this month, but observers always believed that the Indiana Pacers are going to keep their All-Star forward no matter what. After all, why trade away one of the best two-way players who's committed to winning? A trade involving George may be a long shot right now, but the Pacers are still looking to make moves in the next few days to strengthen their roster.
According to ESPN, the Pacers are currently looking for a big man or a wing player to help lighten the workload for George, and they are dangling their 2017 first-round draft pick as trade bait.
They definitely need all the help they can get. With 25 games to go, the Pacers are currently at the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. But after losing six games in a row, the team is in danger of dropping out of the playoffs if they can't get it going after the All-Star break.
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Right now, the Pacers can't afford to sit back and relax because George has remained noncommittal on his future with the team. He can become a free agent in the 2018 offseason and before that happens, the Pacers may want to show George that they can surround him with players who can help him compete for the title.
George has often said that he wants to become one of the Pacer's all-time greats and he's focused on winning.
"I wanted to be the first and want to be the first to be able to bring a championship to Indiana. So that's still on my mind ... and something I definitely want to achieve in Indiana. Say what you want; I want to compete for something. It's frustrating just playing the game for stats or for numbers or to showcase yourself. Man, I want a chance to play for a chance to win a championship," George told ESPN Radio last week.
Right now, the road to the finals is going to be a rocky one for the Pacers. With their current roster, they will have a hard time getting past the heavy favorites in the Eastern Conference. But if the team gives George a better supporting cast, they may get him to sign a new contract and that's what they are aiming for.
