According to a recent report, the Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to trade for Paul George. Which teams would actually be able to pull such a move off?
In the first year of a complete roster restructure, the Indiana Pacers performed as well as anyone could’ve realistically expected them to. Despite replacing go-to clutch scorer David West with a rookie in Myles Turner, and trading defensive anchor Roy Hibbert for a minimal return, Indiana managed to win 45 games and reach the playoffs.
With yet another overhaul expected to be in the works, major-market teams are pondering ways to poach superstar forward Paul George from the Pacers.
It’s hardly surprising that George is garnering attention from teams across the NBA. He’s a three-time All-Star with two All-NBA Third Team appearances, and a third selection likely on the way in 2016.
According to Bill Simmons of HBO, the Los Angeles Lakers will be the first team to try their hand at acquiring George during the summer of 2016.
Also hearing that the Lakers want to make a BIG run at Paul George with their top-3 pick plus other stuff. (Not that they'd get him...)
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 4, 2016
That, of course, depends entirely on the Lakers actually retaining the rights to the selection.
Los Angeles’ first-round draft pick is Top 3 protected. In other words, if the Lakers fall out of the Top 3, the Philadelphia 76ers would acquire the selection. Barring a miracle, that would render Los Angeles’ dreams of acquiring George meaningless.
The question is, which teams actually have the trade assets necessary to acquire one of the NBA’s premier two-way players?
Next: Necessary Assets?
5. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have a very interesting conglomeration of assets. Denver isn’t your traditional destination for an incoming NBA superstar, but the assets are in place for Tim Connelly to pull of a blockbuster trade for Paul George’s services.
This may be a long-shot in theory, but with George under contract through 2017-18, with a player option for 2018-19, Denver could go all-out on this move.
The Nuggets have two very attractive assets in the 2016 NBA Draft. The first is the possession of the sixth-best lottery odds of any team, and the next is the No. 15 overall selection—one that falls just outside of the lottery and could be of starting-caliber value.
Losing George would be a tough pill to swallow, but adding two rookies and other young and promising assets to the rotation could be of great value to the team.
The intriguing veteran assets include 28-year-old Wilson Chandler, 26-year-old Kenneth Faried, and 27-year-old Danilo Gallinari. The future assets—and the ones Indiana will be intrigued by—are 25-year-old Will Barton, 21-year-olds Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic, and Jusuf Nurkic, and 24-year-old Joffrey Lauvergne.
This isn’t the most likely of outcomes, but it’s a possible one.
Next: Abundance of Upside
4. Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have one of the deepest and most upside-laced rosters in the Association. There’s at least one player with All-Star potential at all five positions, and another could be found in the 2016 NBA Draft.
With the 11th-best lottery odds in 2016, Orlando already has the foundation for trade discussions.
In terms of the personnel, there’s incredible upside across the board. In the backcourt, 22-year-old point guard Elfrid Payton and 24-year-old shooting guard Victor Oladipo are both incredibly promising players who have shown flashes of becoming All-Stars in the near future.
Complementing that duo along the perimeter are 23-year-old restricted free agent Evan Fournier and 21-year-old 2015 Top 5 draft pick Mario Hezonja.
If that surplus of young talent weren’t enough, 20-year-old power forward Aaron Gordon and 25-year-old center Nikola Vucevic have both flashed star potential of their own. Any combination of the listed players would rationally catch Indiana’s eye, and the addition of a lottery pick would certainly sweeten the deal.
Orlando has a long history of losing superstars, but it could feasibly add one in a blockbuster trade for George.
Next: The Reportedly Interested Party
3. Los Angeles Lakers
As previously alluded to, the Los Angeles Lakers will make a run at Paul George during the summer of 2016. With its 2016 NBA Draft pick, the Lakers have a combination of trade assets that should be enough to at least bring Larry Bird to the negotiating table.
Without the draft pick, Los Angeles is essentially headed downriver without a paddle.
Los Angeles’ first-round draft pick is Top 3 protected in 2016, with the rights transferring over to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls any lower than No. 3 overall. In other words, the Lakers’ odds of landing George likely depend entirely on the outcome of the 2016 NBA Draft lottery.
The hope for Los Angeles would be that Indiana is enamored enough with one of Dragan Bender, Jaylen Brown, Kris Dunn, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, and Ben Simmons that it’d be willing to trade George to draft one of them.
In order to execute the trade, the Lakers would need to include some combination of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and D’Angelo Russell. Clarkson is a restricted free agent, which somewhat complicates things, but if he signs a multi-year deal, he could be a valuable asset.
There’s no guaranteeing this would work, but the Lakers’ combination of a Top 3 draft pick and two of its young rising stars would fit Bird’s desire to acquire offensive talent.
Next: Compiling Assets
2. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have the second-most attractive compilation of trade assets in the NBA. There are quality players with immediate value, upside assets with immense long-term potential, an All-Star point guard, and a surplus of draft picks.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Indiana Pacers team president Larry Bird and Celtics general manager Danny Ainge are friends and former teammates.
The Celtics have the unprotected rights to the Brooklyn Nets’ 2016 NBA Draft pick, which holds the No. 3 lottery odds. Boston is also slotted to pick at No. 16, No. 23, No. 31, No. 35, No. 45, No. 51, and No. 58 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Boston also has the unprotected rights to its 2017 first and second-round selections, if that were to come into play.
As for the players already on the roster, All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas is the first of the many attractive assets. Marcus Smart has potential as the No. 6 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, Jae Crowder is one of the better two-way players in the Association, and the likes of Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk could start in Indiana.
Boston would need to give up quite a bit to land George, but it has a surplus of assets, a revered head coach in Brad Stevens, and the necessary cap space to sign another star.
Next: No. 1 Option
1. Phoenix Suns
If the Boston Celtics have intriguing trade pieces, then the Phoenix Suns have the holy grail of assets. The Suns have a potential Top 5 draft pick, young and promising players, and the depth to give up rising stars without crippling the current core.
If any team can pull off a trade for George, while simultaneously meeting Larry Bird’s desire for superior offensive personnel, it’s Phoenix.
The Suns currently have the fourth and 13th-best lottery odds in the 2016 NBA Draft. It also owns the No. 28 and No. 34 selections in the annual selection process, which gives it four valuable draft picks in the Top 35, three in the first round, and two in the lottery.
That all becomes significantly more attractive when coupled with the remarkable young players on Phoenix’s roster.
Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are competitive two-way players, and one of the two could be acquired to start from Day 1 for the Pacers. Other attractive options include the 19-year-old Devin Booker, 21-year-old Archie Goodwin, and 22-year-olds Alex Len and T.J. Warren.
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If the Suns are willing to pay a steep enough price, it’d be very difficult to blame Larry Bird for potentially trading George to the Suns.