Pacers' decision to keep Paul George looms large for Lakers, Celtics
Paul George stayed put on Thursday, when Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird decided against trading his 26-year-old star, and NBA fanbases from Boston to Los Angeles surely reached for the antidepressants when the deadline passed.
This was the kind of blockbuster move that would have changed the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, where the Celtics wanted to pair George with fellow All-Star Isaiah Thomas and come full force at the Cleveland Cavaliers. It could have ramped up the rebuild for the Lakers and their new top front office boss, Magic Johnson, who knows full well that George – a Palmdale, Calif. native and lifelong Lakers fan – is determined to sign there as a free agent in the summer of 2018 if the Pacers can’t find a way to contend for a title again. Add in the fact that George was clearly displeased with how the deadline went, and you have all the makings of the NBA's latest superstar saga.
"I kind of was on the ropes (on deadline day), just like you guys were, on what was about to happen," George told reporters in Indianapolis. "It was kind of a dark moment of uncertainty. That was the frustrating part. You want me to be your guy here, thought I would have been in the loop a little more on (trade talks)."
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And though the trade didn't happen, this one has the kinds of tantalizing tentacles that we’ll be monitoring for the foreseeable future.
Here’s a look at the ripple effect for two of the league’s storied franchises.
LAKER LAND
In Los Angeles, where it was Day No. 3 on the job for Johnson as the Lakers president of basketball operations after president Jeanie Buss set fire to the Jim Buss/Mitch Kupchak front office, the stars didn’t align in their favor yet again. They landed a 2017 first-round pick and Corey Brewer from Houston for Lou Williams on Wednesday – a good haul considering this is expected to be a deep draft. Other than a Thursday move in which the Lakers sent Marcelo Huertas to Houston for 22-year-old point guard Tyler Ennis, there was no more Magic to be made. And as early tenure evaluations go, that’s ok – for now.
After all these recent years in which NBA stars were suddenly looking sideways at Laker Land, and when Jeanie’s angst grew as the Lakers continually missed out on elite free agents, the revelation that George has a love affair with the Lakers still qualified as a meaningful moment. As USA TODAY Sports reported on Wednesday, George recently met with Pacers owner Herb Simon and delivered a nuanced message: Indiana is the place he wants to be – if they can contend for a title.
Fast forward to Thursday, when Bird came up short in his attempts to find help for George and his Pacers team that is currently sixth in the East (29-28). What’s more, both George and Johnson would be well-advised to learn lessons from the Carmelo Anthony saga that continues to unfold. In situations like these, patience and a pragmatic approach are often the way.
When Anthony forced his way into a trade from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks in Feb. 2011, he was just five months away from being able to opt out and sign with New York in free agency. Instead, with his concern about the forthcoming lockout and what it might mean for his next contract growing, the deal was done that cost the Knicks Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Galinari, Timofey Mozgov and a 2014 first-round pick.
Years later, it was clear that Anthony had hurt his own championship cause by getting to his dream spot via trade vs. free agency. With Johnson now needing to improve the Lakers roster substantially, these are the questions that George and the Lakers have surely pondered during this process.
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The Lakers, with star appeal or not, are still a terrible team (19-39) with a jury-is-out young core (D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, chief among them).
Improvements need to be made.
George’s health history could change his view on the best way to handle his future, too, what with his gruesome leg break in the summer of 2014 that led to a recovery time of more than a year. Having your career flash before your eyes, wondering if you’ll ever play on an NBA court again, could certainly spark impatience in someone like George.
CELTICS STAND PAT TOO
The Celtics, meanwhile, have questions of their own to answer.
As the trade deadline neared on Thursday, there were many executives around the league who thought Boston general manager Danny Ainge would finally use all of those assets he’s been hoarding for years – none more valuable than Brooklyn’s first-round pick that the Celtics possess for this loaded upcoming draft. Yet in the absence of a major move, and with their Isaiah Thomas-led team currently second in the East (37-20), it’s not as if they’re now out of options.
Boston could revisit a trade for George or Chicago’s Jimmy Butler after the playoffs, just in time to use that pick in a June deal rather than be forced to make the pick. Thomas will be a free agent in the summer of 2018 as well, and there’s probably no quicker way to make him wonder about his future in Beantown than to draft another former Washington Husky, top prospect Markelle Fultz, or his point guard contemporary, Lonzo Ball.
George may have stayed put on deadline day, in other words, but it sure set the stage for another round of compelling NBA theatre.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick on Twitter @Sam_Amick.
