The entire Paul George situation has yet to play out with free agency getting going around the NBA this upcoming weekend. We already know George has informed his Indiana Pacers that he will not re-sign with them next summer.
It’s in this that George has been the subject of a plethora of trade rumors. Obviously, he’s been most linked to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, a squad George himself has indicated he wants to play for (more on that here).
Though, GM Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics have also had conversations with Indiana regarding the All-Star forward. Unfortunately, it seems that the Pacers are simply asking for too much from Boston in a potential trade.
League source: Celtics waiting to hear back from Indy's Pritchard, but consider his current demand for George unrealistic.
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) June 29, 2017
Specifically, the Pacers are reportedly asking for two first-round picks (originally from the Nets and Lakers) as well as at least one starter-caliber player. That crop of players likely include Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder.
Considering George might be seen as a one-year rental before he hits free agency next July, it’s highly unlikely that Indiana will receive that much in return. That’s only magnified when it comes to a Celtics team that has valued draft pick assets more than any other in the NBA over the past several years.
In addition to Boston and Los Angeles, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been bandied about as a potential landing spot for George. Though, the team simply doesn’t have enough assets to get a deal done at this point.
Following the acquisition of Chris Paul earlier in the week, it appears that the Houston Rockets are confident in their ability to land either George or fellow All-Star Carmelo Anthony this summer (more on that here).
There’s definitely a lot of moving parts here. But unless Indiana lowers its asking price, don’t expect anything to get done here soon.