Paul George traded to Thunder: All the latest on the Pacers’ stunning trade

The first night of NBA free agency didn’t disappoint. Besides the usual allotment of big-money contracts to stars and role players alike, the Paul George sweepstakes came to a swift end when the Pacers traded him to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. That left other teams (*cough Celtics cough*) out in the cold wondering why the Pacers settled for an inferior offer to theirs.

We’re still not sure the answer to that question. Additional reporting suggests the Pacers rejected multiple Celtics offers and also turned down a three-way package that would have landed them Denver’s Gary Harris and other goodies. Maybe Kevin Pritchard likes Oladipo and Sabonis that much. Maybe those other proposals weren’t as solid as it appears. Only Pritchard and the Pacers’ front office really know.

The Pacers traded Paul George to the Thunder, and everyone is wondering why Danny Ainge and the Celtics couldn’t seal the deal. This has been a recurring theme for Celtics over the past two seasons as Boston has risen from second-tier playoff squad to No. 1 seed. Yet, Ainge has hoarded a horde of premium draft picks and prospects and can’t seem to turn them into a true superstar on the market.

Below the surface, it’s clear that the Celtics’ failure to strike isn’t for lack of trying. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported that Ainge offered Indiana three non-premium picks, Jae Crowder, and another Celtics starter (presumed to be Avery Bradley) for George during the draft. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald independently reported the same, and added that the Celtics made an even better offer at the February deadline: a 2017 pick swap that involved Brooklyn’s selection, which became No. 1 overall.

A few hours before free agency began, the Oklahoma City Thunder were trapped, staring a slow descent in the face.

Kevin Durant? Gone. Russell Westbrook as the MVP? Great. Russell Westbrook with just one year left on his contract and no guarantees that he’d want to stick around beyond then? Not so much.

In a stunning move that came out of absolutely nowhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder have traded for Paul George, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. For weeks, we’ve known that George’s time in Indiana was drawing to a close, but no one even knew the Thunder were on the market for a player like that.

In the trade, George will go to Oklahoma City while Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis will head to Indiana. All along, the Pacers craved young talent, and Sabonis fits that build. Still, it’s shocking that Indiana pulled the trigger so soon and to a team that nobody had on their radar.

The last time we saw Russell Westbrook on a basketball court, he put up 47 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists doing things like this:

And whether you like it or not, the last time we saw Paul George on the court, he did this:

So ... Paul George is still a Pacer. He wasn’t traded on draft night, and he’s still around even though he doesn’t want to stay. What happens now?

The Indiana Pacers have to trade George, and they should really do it before the season starts. He has already informed them that he will not be re-signing with the team when he reaches free agency in 2018, which puts the Pacers in a terrible position. The rest of the league knows that Indiana has to deal him, which tanks his value. But it’s better to get something for George instead of wasting a season knowing he’s gone when it’s over.

After rumors swirled in the days leading up to the 2017 NBA draft, Paul George was not traded on Thursday. Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard explained why after the Pacers’ draft night had concluded.

“We have a lot of things still ongoing,” Pritchard told reporters. “Multiple things came up tonight; we looked at a lot of things that included the draft picks.”

It’s not a secret: The Pacers are trying to get something in return for Paul George before they lose him for nothing via his unrestricted free agency next summer. But it doesn’t appear as though Indiana’s in any rush to get its All-Star forward out of town.

A George trade doesn’t appear imminent, according to The Indy Star’s Nate Taylor, and the Pacers don’t feel any pressure to get a deal done before Thursday’s NBA Draft.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers traded 2015’s No. 2 overall pick, D’Angelo Russell, to the Brooklyn Nets along with Timofey Mozgov, for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 overall pick. The move was the first in what should be a busy couple of years coming up for the Lakers.

The move did a few things for Los Angeles. While they lost a young talent who hadn’t quite panned out the way they’d hoped immediately, it’s a longer-term play than anything, for a few reasons.

The Los Angeles Lakers will trade Timofey Mozgov and D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 draft on Thursday, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal comes just days after Paul George told the Indiana Pacers he would not re-sign after his contract expired in 2018, stating he preferred landing with the Lakers.

This move clears long-term salary space invested in Mozgov, who hardly played this past season. L.A. signed him during last summer’s spending spree on a four-year deal worth $64 million. Instead, they’ll assume Lopez’s contract, which expires after the 2017-18 season.

Paul George’s time with the Indiana Pacers is quickly drawing to a close. By all accounts, he won’t be on the team next season. In fact, he might not last the week.

George told Indiana that he won’t be re-signing in 2018 and they are quickly looking to cash him in for the best deal possible. The report has tanked his value, but the Pacers can still get something back from him. In fact, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, there are five teams in talks with Indiana right now: the Lakers, the Clippers, the Rockets, the Wizards, and the Cavaliers.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers have engaged in Paul George trade discussions, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne. The two teams could get a deal done ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft.

The Lakers are not willing to part with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, according to Stein, who also reported there is “zero chance” the team parts with last year’s No. 2 pick, Brandon Ingram, either. That is the sticking point in negotiations: The Pacers covet the No. 2 pick just as much as the Lakers.

Paul George had made it clear to the Pacers that in 2018 he will leave Indiana for most likely another warmer, prettier, more expensive destination, the Los Angeles Lakers. It was news that Pacers fans had been expecting for a while, but coming a year before the All-Star is even eligible to go look for a new team came as a surprise. Especially after he had just said the following at a charity softball game less than a week prior.

So immediately after news broke on Sunday, a t-shirt shop in Indianapolis made quick moves. They gave away their entire stock of Paul George merchandise, for free.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers have spoken about a Paul George trade, per ESPN. Please remain calm and keep all hands within the roller coaster.

The talks come on the heels of a report that George has told the Pacers he will not be returning to the team in 2018 when he reaches free agency. Instead, Indiana has quickly moved to deal George while it still can, shopping him around the league with the hopes of getting a deal done sooner than later, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

Paul George has made things crystal clear for the Pacers and everyone else in the NBA: He will opt out of the contract in one year, he will not re-sign with Indiana, and he prefers to play for the L.A. Lakers. His agent communicated this to the Pacers at least a week ago, according to reports, and the Pacers are reciprocating by engaging in trade talks as the 2017 NBA draft approaches.

This is all wonderful news for the Lakers, who have lacked a star since Kobe Bryant retired and have lacked a star who could actually play basketball at a high level for a couple of years beyond that. L.A. has been madly fortunate in the NBA draft lottery over the last three years, landing three No. 2 picks. Yet, D’Angelo Russell has been a disappointment, Brandon Ingram is still raw, and the 2017 vintage remains to be seen entirely.

After a season’s worth of speculation as to where Paul George will end up via his looming 2018 free agency, he’s cleared the air. George informed the Pacers he will not re-sign in Indiana next summer, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Instead, he will become an unrestricted free agent, and many believe his preferred destination is the Los Angeles Lakers.

George grew up in Palmdale, Calif., just outside of the city of Los Angeles. He played college basketball at Fresno State, and one of his favorite players growing up was Magic Johnson. Suffice it to say his decision to play for his hometown team was expected.

Paul George informed the Pacers on Sunday of his pending decision to leave Indiana when his unrestricted free agency hits in 2018. The move, first reported by The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, was done in order to give the Pacers adequate time to plan for a future without the All-Star wing.

It is widely believed George will bolt the Pacers in order to join his hometown Los Angeles Lakers team and play for one of his childhood idols, Magic Johnson. But as it stands, the Lakers wouldn’t have enough cap room to sign the All-Star forward outright.

Paul George has made the decision everyone saw coming.

The All-Star forward has informed the Indiana Pacers he will leave the team when his unrestricted free agency arrives in the summer of 2018, and his current preference is to join a young, budding Los Angeles Lakers team, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.