Woj: Paul George informs Pacers he plans to leave them in 2018 free agency, prefers Lakers.

[Andre Roberstan]

Had a conversation yesterday with a Pacer fan and a 76er mod who when I said he openly wanted to go to the lakers that he's never said that and that it was just his agent trying to pressure the Pacers front o. Would love to see what they have to say now

So him coming out after your statement and, for the first time, being open about wanting to leave makes your previous statement right?

He had made it be known through his agent. It was no secret although if I was a fan of the team I would of tried to ignore it too.

It was rumored. It's been rumored for like 7 years that Russ was signing with LA too. This is the first real confirmation we've received.

[NoZoLakers]

I still don't see LAL as a winning option, especially with they're bad contracts. Teams that should be calling:

Utah
Dallas
Boston
Miami
Minny

"Heart wants want the heart wants", i know utah is your team but you not even sure you can keep hayward yourself, Utah isnt exactly prime fa target location n how is all those other non playoff team in there? La isn't hindered enough to no have cap for pg even with moz/deng n have enough young asset to compete with pg

[damecurry]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18959003/zach-lowe-paul-george-future-indiana-pacers

George would love to play with hometown boy Gordon Hayward, according to sources

George is also best friends with Hill. I wonder if the Jazz have a chance in hell to get him in Utah and convince him to stay long-term next to Hayward and Hill?

With Gobert anchoring the middle? Yikes, that would be a scary team. I don't think they challenge the Warriors or Lebron but they could certainly be that next team perpetually going to conference finals and stuff, hope it happens, much more fun than him going to the lakers blah.

[pacers33granger]

Had a conversation yesterday with a Pacer fan and a 76er mod who when I said he openly wanted to go to the lakers that he's never said that and that it was just his agent trying to pressure the Pacers front o. Would love to see what they have to say now

So him coming out after your statement and, for the first time, being open about wanting to leave makes your previous statement right?

He had made it be known through his agent. It was no secret although if I was a fan of the team I would of tried to ignore it too.

You and I must have a different definition of "openly" then because just a few days ago he called all the rumors crazy.

[DK-All Day]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18959003/zach-lowe-paul-george-future-indiana-pacers

George would love to play with hometown boy Gordon Hayward, according to sources

George is also best friends with Hill. I wonder if the Jazz have a chance in hell to get him in Utah and convince him to stay long-term next to Hayward and Hill?

Danny Ainge 10 steps ahead

[Soulyss]

This is incredibly courteous of PG13. As a fan of a team that's had a star walk for nothing in FA, at least getting some assets for him will help the Pacers in the long-term.

Had it not leaked, I would agree with you. This feels nore like leverage to get to the LAL a year early. Ironically I would give up anything valuable to move thus up a year...

[Andre Roberstan]

Where is basketballwacko (or something like that) ??

I may be a little extra touchy about this because of the recent history of my team, but let the Pacers fans alone. Calling people out makes the board extra contentious, and it's contentious enough as it is.

You probably dont remember how he and other 2-3 Pacers fans were rude for Lakers fans in PG13 discussion (since WojBomb in february). Its not about entire Pacers fanbase - most of them were normal and we had discussion with arguments.

So yes i wait for basketballwacko2 reaction

No. You don't. Because we already dealt with that situation behind the scenes, and if you rip the scab open again everyone will come out with egg on their faces, and we have to hand out warnings and bans and lock threads and no one has a good time. It makes extra work for us, it makes the board a worse place, and we volunteers who mod the board have to spend unpaid man-hours sorting out an unnecessary mess cause people thought it would be fun to make other people eat crow.

[Green_teamer]

So him coming out after your statement and, for the first time, being open about wanting to leave makes your previous statement right?

He had made it be known through his agent. It was no secret although if I was a fan of the team I would of tried to ignore it too.

It was rumored. It's been rumored for like 7 years that Russ was signing with LA too. This is the first real confirmation we've received.

The verticle reported he was hell bent on joining lakers in Free Agency back in Febuary

[NoZoLakers]

Even if he prefers LAL, if I'm a win now team I make the move and hope all the W's are enough to keep him around. He's a in the top 10 player mix or just out of it. Worth the risk IMO, just because guys like this don't grow on trees

If said team isn't clev or gsw, it won't matter

Disagree. Put this guy on SAS LAC BOS TOR and you're in the mix

I'll give you the Spurs, the other, no

[Soulyss]

The next leak will be where PG13 is willing to resign... that will be interesting.

[mademan]

He had made it be known through his agent. It was no secret although if I was a fan of the team I would of tried to ignore it too.

It was rumored. It's been rumored for like 7 years that Russ was signing with LA too. This is the first real confirmation we've received.

The verticle reported he was hell bent on joining lakers in Free Agency back in Febuary

And every analyst and their mothers were saying Love was going to LA when he first got to Cleveland too.

[stitches]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18959003/zach-lowe-paul-george-future-indiana-pacers

George would love to play with hometown boy Gordon Hayward, according to sources

George is also best friends with Hill. I wonder if the Jazz have a chance in hell to get him in Utah and convince him to stay long-term next to Hayward and Hill?

Where's that Favors Hood thread?

The thing is... the Jazz have all sorts of different asset and can let Indiana choose what they want - You want a good/great vet(Favors)? You got it! You want young vet(Hood)? You got it! You want young pieces on rookie contracts(Exum, Lyles - who is another Indy guy and Indy reportedly loved him when they picked Turner, he was their next choice from what I've heard)? You got it? You want picks? Jazz have tons of them. The only thing we don't really have is high end pick(the BKN type of picks). So yeah... it's not ideal, but the Jazz can form a somewhat good package if other teams don't want to give up assets not knowing if PG13 will stay.

[NoZoLakers]

The next leak will be where PG13 is willing to resign... that will be interesting.

This isnt Dwight Howard

[yanuary]

So...

#4 (trade down with Suns)+ Mozgov or Deng for PG13 + #18
Lakers overpay or not?

[Andre Roberstan]

He had made it be known through his agent. It was no secret although if I was a fan of the team I would of tried to ignore it too.

It was rumored. It's been rumored for like 7 years that Russ was signing with LA too. This is the first real confirmation we've received.

The verticle reported he was hell bent on joining lakers in Free Agency back in Febuary

https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2015/7/2/8886457/nba-executive-russell-westbrook-and-james-harden-will-both-sign-with

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/rumor-lakers-led-to-believe-durant-westbrook-join-team-in-free-agency/

And then they re-upped with their teams.

If you made a list of all the players that have been rumored to have interest in coming to the Lakers and haven't, it would be a book.

[stitches]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18959003/zach-lowe-paul-george-future-indiana-pacers

George would love to play with hometown boy Gordon Hayward, according to sources

George is also best friends with Hill. I wonder if the Jazz have a chance in hell to get him in Utah and convince him to stay long-term next to Hayward and Hill?

With Gobert anchoring the middle? Yikes, that would be a scary team. I don't think they challenge the Warriors or Lebron but they could certainly be that next team perpetually going to conference finals and stuff, hope it happens, much more fun than him going to the lakers blah.

yeah, nobody will score on that team. Hill - Hayward - George - Favors - Gobert! 90 defensive rating over the season!

[SmartWentCrazy]

Best case for return is probably Boston right?

Nope, it's LA. Maybe Randle and a pick.

You think the Lakers would really give youth away when they could try to get him in FA later?

Why would any other team, though?

[mademan]

Nope, it's LA. Maybe Randle and a pick.

You think the Lakers would really give youth away when they could try to get him in FA later?

Why would any other team, though?

If the Pacers tell LA they'll trade PG for Love if they dont put #2 on the table, does LA blink? Do they think PG will actually leave a finals/championship run with Lebron/Kyrie?

[Soulyss]

So...

#4 + Mozgov or Deng for PG13 + #18
Lakers overpay or not?

Um...... they pick 2nd?

And no chance the lakers give #2

[jayjaysee]

Kind of feel like it's already too late for this thread to survive.

Sucks for Pacers that George wants to leave, but better than him just leaving. IMO other teams will still trade value for him, so this isn't some end all Clarkson+28 or else type situation. He wants to go to the Lakers.. Doesn't mean he'll only go to the Lakers.

If this were (a good amount of) years ago, I'd still offer 9+another first+whatever we have on our roster and hope Dirk/Cuban could show him how nice a place Dallas is..

And other teams should feel that way as well.