Pacers president Larry Bird said the idea of trading Paul George was ‘all fake news’

Shortly after Magic Johnson took the helm as Los Angeles Lakers president, he did, indeed, call Indiana Pacers executive Larry Bird. The timing, coincidentally, was near the Feb. 23 trade deadline, right around the time the Pacers had reportedly begun assessing the trade value of their All-Star forward Paul George.

The conversation also took place as a USA Today report from Sam Amick surfaced, linking George’s hometown Los Angeles roots to his impending 2018 unrestricted free agency.

But the conversation between old foes was not focused around George’s availability, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Tania Ganguli. Instead, the Pacers president said the notion he wanted to deal his team’s best player to a rival executive was “fake news.”

Bird conceded his five-minute call with Johnson dealt more with family and Magic’s new role, while only briefly touching on George’s future in Indiana.

“I wasn’t motivated to move Paul George at the deadline,” said Bird, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Tania Ganguli. “I can’t remember if it was even brought up or not. I don’t think it was. It’s all fake news anyway. You know that. Somebody’s gonna start it and [it] just was a snowball effect. [The phone call] was not about Paul George.”

Just days before the Pacers reportedly begun to gauge George’s trade value, the team was knee-deep in looking for help to put alongside its lone All-Star.

Indiana reached out to the Philadelphia 76ers regarding a deal for second-year big man Jahlil Okafor, according to ESPN.com. The Pacers were also connected to trade rumors revolving around Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez. Neither were fruitful.

But the Pacers have an interesting team lodged firmly into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, with George flanked by point guard Jeff Teague and budding big man Myles Turner.

One can argue Indiana is only one or two pieces away from taking a significant step up the East’s ladder. Trading George, or publicly entertaining that thought, would be a step in the wrong direction.

The narrative of George’s 2018 unrestricted free agency still rings true. The Pacers’ All-Star is a Los Angeles native, and The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported a combination of George’s admiration for Magic Johnson and his hometown roots would inevitably lure him home when the time comes.

Should George make an All-NBA team or be named a All-Star starter next season, he would be eligible for a designated player contract extension worth $219 million over five seasons — a deal only Indiana can offer as the team that drafted him. But the Pacers’ wing is a long shot to land one of the six forward slots this season and could lose all financial incentive to re-sign in Indiana next summer.

The Pacers were in a position to recoup something of value from the Lakers — potentially rookie wing Brandon Ingram and a top pick in the loaded upcoming draft.

Ultimately, though, a deal never was discussed, according to Bird.

The Lakers and Pacers may eventually agree on a deal that compensates Indiana for its All-Star forward. That outcome would far surpass watching George walk as an unrestricted free agent in a year.

Just how close is Indiana to winning a championship? And will those odds get any better with Los Angeles’ trade package?

Those are questions for Bird to answer this summer.