Larry Bird will step down as Pacers’ president of basketball operations, according to report

Larry Bird is stepping down from his position as Indiana Pacers’ president of basketball operations, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. His position will be taken over by Kevin Pritchard. Bird is expected to continue working with Pritchard and the Pacers as a consultant, according to Woj.

The move comes after Indiana was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first-round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. It was the first time the Pacers were swept in their franchise’s storied history.

Bird stepped down from his position once before. One day before the 2012 NBA Draft, Bird, who cited health reasons, and the Pacers announced they would part ways. One year later, he returned to his post as team president.

The ex-Celtics legend also stepped down as Pacers’ head coach in 2000 after three seasons on the job.

Bird’s departure comes at the end of a rough stretch of Pacers’ seasons. Indiana made back-to-back first-round exits after failing to reach the playoffs in 2015. Bird bulldozed the roster over the summer, adding Jeff Teague, Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young during free agency. He also replaced head coach Frank Vogel with Nate McMillan.

The Pacers finished 42-40 this season, good for the seventh seed in the East.

Paul George’s looming 2018 free agency has been well-documented. George wants to compete for a championship. The Pacers are lightyears away from contending in the East and have failed to add the help necessary to improve the team.

Bird’s lone mid-season acquisition was signing Lance Stephenson to a free agent contract near the end of the regular season.

The Pacers can offer George a fifth season on his contract for around $30 million more than any other team. If George makes an All-NBA team, Indiana can offer him a five-year deal worth $219 million — nearly $70 million more than any team. The Pacers’ All-Star averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 rebounds on 46 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from downtown, but there are only six forward spots across the three All-NBA teams, so he must compete with LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler.

That slashes the financial incentive for George to remain with the Pacers’ franchise that drafted him 10th overall in 2010. It also increases the odds Indiana fields or accepts a trade offer for their star forward over the summer. Indiana entertained a trade offer from the Boston Celtics near the trade deadline, but stood pat.

George has been linked to returning to his hometown of Los Angeles to play for Magic Johnson and the Lakers. With no clear path to a championship in Indiana, and now Bird out of the picture, George’s tenure with the Pacers could be coming to a close.