Paul George Discussion

This is all sounding very familiar. An all-star with roots in LA gets traded to the Cavs to play with Lebron in the last year of his contract. This is sounding a little like the Kevin Love situation from a few years ago.

The difference here though is our most promising young stud plays the same position as the player in question. Am I the only one who isn't too concerned with the prospect of losing Paul George? I'd still trade Randle or Clarkson with the 28th pick for him, but if we don't get him, where does that actually leave us? We still can't compete for a ring until 2020 at the earliest. PG-13 will be on the wrong side of 30 by then. We literally have all five starting spots occupied by promising young talent in Zubac-Randle-Ingram-Russell-Ball. We even have Nance and Clarkson coming off the bench.

I've said it before, our title chances don't rest with PG-13. They rest on at least 2 of our young guns blossoming into superstars.

 

I want George because he's a franchise caliber player/All-Star that can star to get us back in the playoff picture and thus to respectability and attracting other top free agents. But if we gut the team to get him, it's like you say, where does that actually leave us. It leaves us mediocre with George having to carry a bad team to 30-some wins. So if he's put it out there to us "don't gut the team for me", I listen. The Pacers can take a package around Clarkson and the 28th, or we can take our chances in 2018 free agency for him with our full core intact. Either way, like you say, we aren't a title team, which is what LA is all about ultimately. Getting George is only a start to being that if we are careful in other areas too.

 

Oh. I agree. He'd also be instrumental in teaching our kids how to win. I'm just saying, in the end, our fortunes will not rest on PG-13. I don't give up Ball, Russell or Ingram. I'd rather roll the dice and try to sign him as a free agent.

 

Completely agreed. I agreed with your entire post above, I intended my response to come across that way, if it didn't.

 

Nah. I was just sort of saying it because after reading my own response, I didn't want people to get the idea that I didn't want George. I do want him, but the fact that this thread is getting so long, I just wanted to remind everyone that they shouldn't get too upset if we never see PG-13 in a Laker uniform, like the Lakers blew it or something. The responsible course is to keep our 3 main assets (Ingram, Ball, Russell), try to hold onto Zu as well, and then if we think we can land PG-13 this offseason with the rest of our stuff, go for it.

 

The only thing I sort of disagree on is that you make it sound like George wouldn't be instrumental in us winning a title. George can absolutely be a crucial piece to our success. If we brought him in, we immediately add a potential 10 games at least. All those games last year that our young guys choked away down the stretch don't go that way if we have a legitimate superstar and George is one of those players.

That being said, I do agree that in order for our team to succeed truthfully we'll need one of Ingram, Randle, Russell, or (likely) Ball to pop off and be a stud. So far Ingram looks the closest to a two-way All-Star caliber type guy both mentally and on the court. Russell and Randle have shown tremendous flashes and could get there.

In the end I give up nothing substantial. I don't give up Ingram, Russell, Randle, or #2. I'd be willing to talk Zubac, Nance Jr., and #28 but I don't really want to do that either because of how cheap those guys are.

My offer remains: Clarkson/#28/2019 2nd/2020 2nd. That offer expires on draft night. If we go beyond the draft, I'm keeping everything and you better be happy to find a rental team somewhere willing to give you half that total.

 

For what it's worth Pincus agrees with our consensus on what we should offer:



Whether Indy takes that, who knows?

edit also: