I'm not sure if it's correct in deducing that Boston flinched because of the comment he wouldn't sign an extension and then in the next sentence saying the nuggets offer wasn't enough. To me, that points to both teams offering less than what the pacers demanded. I'm sure we were there as well and we couldn't get it done either. So logically it seems that the pacers either want a huge return or they'll try and keep George and bank on putting some good pieces around him and offering him a super max if he makes an all NBA team this season or next. I think it's wishful LA thinking to believe we have all the leverage. Chicago probably thought the same with Kobe back in the day and we just didn't trade him when he was demanding all kinds of things in the media... To me George is in a similar situation to Love. He was an expiring and (unlike George who would stay at Indy) clearly wanted to leave, it took two no 1 pick players to get it done. I know Anthony Bennett is a bum, but it's not like Russell or Ingram are doing anything special at this time either to be deemed huge assets so it's comparable. So I just can't see a low ball offer happening, especially if it's Clarkson and a pick, easily someone like Boston takes a flier with BKN pick and one of their other 100 stock piled assets. Hell, even Philly could try and get something done or any team with a ton of assets if George can be had so cheaply.
Ainge is a snake, he always leaks fake offers to make opposing gm look bad when he actually didnt make that sort of offer. He did it to cha 2 seasons ago when when cha didnt give up the #9 pick so he could get winslow. Ainge even went to local radio making it seem cha was "dumb" for not accepting his offer. Then someone release what the true offer was and it was pathetic
From what I read, it'd be 4 years 125 million from a team outside Indy. The mega extension is contingent on PG making an All-NBA Team and as solid as he is, the F position is so stacked. Assuming Lebron, KD, Kawhi and The Brow are locks, you have PG fighting with Butler, the Greak Freek, Hayward, Draymond for the remaining 2 spots. The Pacers are probably just waiting to see what happens here before really feeling pressured to shop him. If they can offer him that contract extension and an earnest effort of improving the roster, it may be enough for PG to stay put. I mean, 200+ million is hard to pass on no matter the situation. One thing in all this is winning is what matters to George. We bring up the Lakers side but the Pacers are obviously going to try and building a winning roster around him themselves. Curious what moves they make. There are several options in play but if Stuckey picks up his PO, Miles doesn't, they keep GRob3 and dump Allen/Young and make a QO for Teague so they maintain his bird rights.... Right now they are slotted at #18 and #48 picks. They'd also have about 22M in cap space - factoring in the rookie contracts. If I'm them, I'd offer up the #18 pick to a team willing to take on the expiring contract of Jefferson. For a team trying to win now, freeing up more than 10M in cap space is probably more valuable than a mid-1st. If they do this, then they'd have: PG: Teague SG: Ellis, Stuckey SF: George, GRob3 PF: Young, Niang, Christmas C: Turner, Seraphin #48 pick About 32 or 33M in cap space - so certainly a MAX slor Is there enough here for the Pacers to build a winner around PG? (Or at least convince him it could be)..... I dunno but Bird is sure as heck going to try.
This isn't my deduction, it's said explicitly by Woj in the podcast and among other media members. Indiana asked for 3/4 of Boston's young players as well as both Brooklyn picks. Boston flinched. The Nuggets offered basically anyone on the team besides Jokic as well as draft considerations and the deal fell through partly because George and his agent said George would leave that team if they traded for him which I'm sure lowered the overall offer from the Nuggets. Thus, the Nuggets offer wasn't enough.
PG13 if he wants the Kobe mantle...more power to him! Westbrook had dibs this summer but he signed an extension.
Thanks for posting this. So we wait and sign him in the summer of 2018. Kobe/Magic makes sure that happens by checking up on him weekly. Tampering? Hell yes it is, but that's why we replaced Mitch with Magic.
There is a difference between offering anyone on the team and offering everyone on the team. Boston didn't flinch because George wouldn't resign, but because they were asking for everything and the kitchen sink. I'm trying to say that Pacers are asking for too much to get the deal down, from us, from boston and from the nuggets. I don't see that changing drastically to the point where we get him for cheap, and if we can, I don't understand why a team on the brink of contending doesn't try and sign him, they'd be just as confident at keeping him as us. His main goal is to win after all. **EDIT: Saw on the clippers vs spurs game that reportedly Atlanta tried to trade for George at the deadline and offered a package with 4 first round picks for him. Things like this just confirm to me that the pacers feel they have the leverage, either they'll get the farm back for George or keep him.
Followed the discussion for a while and very excited for the prospect of signing George. My 2 cents: 2018 is faaaar away. If u can get him this summer without destroying the future of the team, do it. Other Stars will follow, role players too, some might even at a discount. The Lakers may have lost appeal as long as it is only based on History, but whereelse would a player rather be successful? If he somehow finds a winning Situation elsewhere before, our chances deminish quickly. Also, PG could be the no 1 on a Championship Team. Lesser players have been and were only considered elite after they won. It always depends on the whole team and what you ask of the guy. He has all the tools and as far as i know, no attitude issues. If he really wants to come to THESE Lakers, the only reason i can think of is to be great as a laker. The best kind of Motivation i as a fan can think of.
Ok, so hypothetically we keep our pick; PG wants to come here, and I think we may have the assets to move for him, what is fair and at what cost? Automatically, I'd say something like: Top 3 pick, 27th pick, Clarkson, Randle, and a choice of one of the other young players. i.e. Zubac or Nance. Isn't that a fair offer? Too much? You get 2 first round picks, Clarkson can be a spot starter or a good 6th man, Randle is young with some upside, and potentially another young piece. Bird might insist on Zubac.
If Paul is really hell bent on coming here I wouldn't give up Zubac. That's a more than fair offer that I doubt anyone is willing to try and match if George really is detrimined to play in Los Angeles.
Honestly that's a massive offer. If George is coming here anyway, I'm not giving up that much. I mean Woj has said that George told the Lakers (yeah I know that's tampering, but it's how the NBA works) not to give up all our assets. I don't know what a fair offer is if George demands a trade to LA, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to give up a Top 3 pick AND two of our better young players. Top 3 pick/Houston pick/one of our young guys would be my top offer given that George is demanding a trade here. If he's not, I'm hesitant to gut the team. If we could find homes for Deng and Mozgov, I'd be more inclined to make that move because we could free up cap room in order to leap forward with George and some other good players. As it is, I don't want to gut our team of talent to get George and then give him a team that's really not any better than the one he left.
Clarkson, Randle, and pick. If that's not good enough, I call their bluff. I could be moved to dump both picks, but I'm not giving up any more young talent that we already know looks better than their draft position.