The Lakers were among the team’s to reach out to the Pacers regarding the availability of Paul George, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com reports. New Lakers team president Magic Johnson and Pacers team president Larry Bird spoke today, but the conversation didn’t get past pleasantries and possibly gathering levels of interest. Shelburne notes that a George-to-the-Lakers trade remains unlikely.
George met with Pacers owner Herb Simon recently to discuss George’s future with the franchise. According to Shelburne, since those talks took place, Simon has invited teams to make offers for the small forward. The Pacers are listening to offers, which would presumably put them in a rebuilding situation, but at the same time, they remain interested in upgrade talent. The team continues to float its first-round pick in trade discussions with the hope that it can bring George some help should he remain on the roster past Thursday’s deadline.
David Aldridge of NBA.com previously reported that the Pacers are simply feeling out the market for George rather than shopping him and Shelburne confirms that report. She notes that the Celtics are eager to trade for George and they could present the Pacers with a strong offer that persuades Indiana to deal the 26-year-old before the team expected to.
Johnson continues to look for trades outside of bringing George to Los Angeles. Shelburne notes that a trade which involves sending away Jose Calderon or Nick Young is far more likely than a George trade.
George said that he doesn’t expect to be dealt before the deadline. “I have no concerns,” George told local reporters. “I’m here. I practiced today. My head is not wrapped around that. I’ve got a team to turn around in the second half and that’s what I’m committed to.”
Trade for him in the offseason but only if it’s a sign and trade, makes no sense to trade key guys for a guy who might only stay for a year. Lakers must get one of Drummond, Butler, or PG13 this offseason
Why?
Ya they dont need any of those guys… all they need is Lonzo Ball and an upgrade at Center, and even if that doesnt work right away itll be among the top teams after LeBron retires.
Signing Mozgov has been their only “bad” move..
I think it was a great move considering he will be a great backup once they upgrade, but mainly he gives them tradeable salary down the road.
And if they can land a starting/comparable center with the Rockets pick, then Mozgovs salary doesnt even matter as in being a high-paid backup.
Zubac is going to be pretty good. Might be a backup but he’ll be way better than Sacre. Wouldn’t waste a lotto pick on a C unless it’s the next coming of Shaq.
Yeah why use lotto picks on centers? You might get stuck with a guy like KAT or Embiid…
I think he ment in this draft. This is a gaurd heavy draft. I don’t really follow college to much but I only hear about gaurds and a few 4s
Yeah I read that differently. If they have a top 3 pick then they obviously aren’t taking a center
Drummond would be an enormous upgrade at center…
I think by sign and trade you must mean extend and trade? If so, that’d be a very unwise move for George, he’d lose out on tens of millions.
Considering the nba lotto is rigged, Lakers would be foolish to give up an automatic 1st overall pick of Lonzo Ball for Paul George.
Magic Johnson needs to avoid becoming a Phil as in adding overpriced aging vets to a young team.
Nothing wrong with vet role players, but young teams need to let the young guys take leaderhip even if it takes +3 years now with guys coming in at 19.
I like what I hear about trying to dump nick young and his non-serious influence. Hes a bad guy to have on a team that wants to win. Hes a good guy for a tanking team to keep the lockerroom light.
If the Lakers get Ball or even Fultz theyll be ready to compete ’18.
If Magic trades top 3 pick for George etc, ill give up… I like D-Russ but hed be more ideal next to a complete pg.. def couldn’t support the team if this is all its core intels as far as top-5 picks.
Lol. So if they get Lonzo Ball they’ll be ready to compete with the Warriors next year? Give me a break, you sound like Lonzo’s dad. The fixed lotto stuff doesn’t even warrant a response
Hey man hes already better then MJ, Kobe, Magic and Curry combined so watch your mouth. Lol. But seriously tho that guys an idiot. I’m in agreement. They said the same thing about Russel. Look at how well that worked out.
I’m almost certain this guy is just a troll. In all seriousness, what about the Lakers “core” has them all hyped up? I think Randle is just going be average and I am not too keen on Russell. I do still believe in Ingram and that he will reach his full potential but other than that I’m not so sure. Oh well, good news for me as I’m an OKC fan.
So moz contact is a tradable contract. 15 million for a back up center who’s averaging 8 and 5. To put that in comparison Jimmy butler,is getting 17. An all-star all defensive all nba caliber player. That was crazy talk. Lay off the Cali bud.
I said it was tradeable… didnt say it had “trade value”
But say 2 years from now, asuming they are over the cap, they want to ship two 1st rnd picks out for a good player, then they have Mozgovs contract to match and make the return legal.
So ya, Jimmy Butler among other guys making around 17-18 mil is EXACTLY why the Lakers gave Mozgov that kind of money.
Honestly, you have no idea what you’re talking about. You really think the Lakers are going to compete in 2018? People said the same thing this year. And the fact that you said Mozgov’s contract is tradeable is laughable. If he doesn’t have value, then it isn’t going to be tradeable unless you attach it to a high first round pick. Which according to you, that’s stupid to do for Paul George so why would it be any different then?
Players making a salary close to Mozgov’s are either borderline All-Stars or star players with contracts from the old CBA. The only way two first round picks and Mozgov gets a star player is if those two first rounders are lottery picks. No one is going to take two picks in the 20s and a terrible contract for their star.
So then some other team is gonna be handcuffed to a 15 million dollar trash center. With no outside game. Or any offensive game for that matter for 2 more years. They have better luck moving dengs contract. At least that would be expiring. The GM that makes that trade would be fired as quickly as the lakers for giving away horrible contracts like those two.
Well if theyre fishing for 1st round picks and trading a starting quality player back at the Lakers, then theyre likely in tank mode anyways and wouldnt care much about being stuck with Mozgov for a year and a half.
Might even employ him as a starting center as seen how well that worked out for the Lakers conTANKerous plans.
So you expect Mozgov and a 1st round pick to net a quality starting player? That’s laughable.
Also with the exception of the kings. When a player worth 2 first rounders gets moved they want a front line player PLUS the picks. In no way is moz a front line player. Indiana wants picks PLUS a solid young guy. The clippers wants picks PLUS a young guy(s) hell for KCP the pistons are looking for picks PLUS a young guy. And I don’t see anyone taking on that burden for more then a year. So MAYBE 3 years down the round they do that.
Fact of the matter is there’s a reason that those two clowns got canned. They shelled out way to much money for players either past the prime or straight up not worth it. They’re stuck with moz until he’s got a year left which would be disastrous because that’s going to take away from signing players worth that money. Look at the pistons when they threw money at Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Its sent them down a rabbit hole of top 10 draft picks.
Here’s why in today’s NBA you need at least 2 stars to legitimately contend, you can say the lakers will contend with a top 2 pick next season but unless they get at least one star they’ll be out in the first round if they even make it there. I don’t see why a FA star would want to come to the lakers I don’t they’ve been crappy for 4 years. Trade for a star in his prime like I said, I’m not saying acquire old vets that are a shell of their old self and overpaying them, yes this draft is stacked with PGs but guess what so is FA Curry, CP3, Lowry. Why not trade Pieces get Drummond, and pitch CP3 on the idea of a young deep hungry younger Lob City?
CP3, Russell, Ingram, Randle, Drummond instantly top 3 starting lineup in the West
CP3 wants to try and win a championship. That Lakers roster is no closer to a championship than the Clippers roster.
And also, rookies are rarely ever significant contributors to a playoff team right away. And while free agency might look deep in point guards, lets be realistic. Curry isn’t leaving GS and Lowry is only leaving Toronto if he doesn’t want to play there; money is not going to be an issue for the Raptors in keeping Lowry.
That’s a lot off what ifs and maybes. What if the pistons trade Reggie Jackson to the 76ers adding get a top 5 pick. What 83rd the nets trade brook Lopez for 2 1st rounders and get ball and Giles. It’s easy to play the what if game. And you’re basing your what if on Russel being anything more decent which I don’t think he ever will. Came out to raw and isn’t gonna get much smarter. Ingram being the next KD which he’s supposed to being able to lure a top free agent to the team that hasn’t been releivent in YEARS. lol.
Plus I may be wrong about this I’m not 100% sure but I thought they outlawed the sign and trade? Maybe I miss heard something but I don’t remember that happening in a while and I thought a few years ago they canned it.
I believe that sign and trades are still legal, but if a player gets signed to the designated veteran extension he can’t be traded for a year