First, I noticed that the Pacers drafted UCLA big men with both of their draft picks in the just concluded draft in power forward T.J. Leaf (first round) and center Ike Anigbogu (second round), so I'll assume that they would like a big man to man the paint in order to allow Myles Turner to play the PF spot. DeAndre Jordan should fit the bill here, although his player option for 2018-19 might present concerns for Indiana.
Now Draymond Green is a better player now, but DJ is more accomplished than either Draymond or Harrison Barnes were at the time Kevin Love was traded from Minnesota. A future draft pick could be the Clippers 2020 first-round selection, though I'd be loathe to give that up unless PG13 agreed to a T&E (trade-and-extend) deal.
Now since we are lacking much in the way of assets outside of Austin Barnes and Jamal Crawford (as an expiring deal with a team option for 2018-19), this proposal hinges on getting something for Blake Griffin in a S&T (sign-and-trade) deal. While teams may be reluctant to give Griffin a full max offer, the projected reduction in the salary cap could play in our favor if teams are competing for his services while trying to fit him under their payroll.
Maybe we can get draft picks or a young player like Justice Winslow, Jaylen Brown, or Jae Crowder from Miami or Boston to facilitate a deal for either of those two teams to build up a team to compete in the East. If the Celtics prefer to go with Griffin and Gordon Hayward instead of pairing George and Hayward due to PG's aforementioned desire to come "home", we could be in position to leverage the situation to extract the necessary asset(s) to help put together a package with DJ that might appeal to the Pacers.
I acknowledge this is a longshot and contingent upon factors outside of our control, but it is at least a pathway to a possibility.
Kevin O' Connor, TheRinger.com (6/26/17)
The Pacers find themselves in virtually the same spot that the Timberwolves were when they traded Kevin Love to the Cavs for the 2014 no. 1 pick (Andrew Wiggins), the 2013 no. 1 pick (Anthony Bennett), and Thaddeus Young (from the Sixers). Love was set to hit free agency in 2015, so the return was muted, though Minnesota was still able to create enough leverage to get something of value. Wiggins has developed into a solid player, but the deal pales in comparison to what one league front-office executive told me was on the table at the time from the Warriors: Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, plus a draft pick. Zach Lowe reported a similar trade structure in 2015 at Grantland. The Wolves obviously would’ve been better off taking the deal with younger players and a pick, rather than all draft picks. Green is clearly the best player in that deal, and Barnes, still only 25, is currently better than Wiggins.
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The Pacers would be wise to target a package that resembles what the Warriors might have offered the Wolves back in 2014: a mixture of players entering their primes and future picks. The problem is finding a team capable and willing to do it. Fortunately for the Pacers, two of the handful of teams reportedly interested in George could meet those criteria.
The Clippers could dangle DeAndre Jordan, but they don’t have much else. The Cavaliers would have to flip Love for assets, unless the Pacers are fine with running on the playoff treadmill of mediocrity. The Wizards don’t have much to offer other than a sign-and-trade involving Otto Porter. However, both the Rockets and Celtics can put together a mixed bag of assets, greater than any other team rumored to be chasing George. Houston has tradable veterans like Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, and Patrick Beverley, and younger talents like Clint Capela and Sam Dekker. Similarly, the Celtics have Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and a long list of future draft picks they can put on the table.
Paul George, Blake Griffin, and More Unanswered NBA Questions
