Indiana Pacers: Paul George Set To Sign 5-Year, $90 Million Extension
By Shane Young
The Indiana Pacers have held on to their future. According to Yahoo! Sports, shooting guard Paul George is close to signing a five-year contract extension worth more than $90 million. George, who had a breakout season in 2012-13 and many surprising performances in the playoffs, made it clear earlier this week that he was planning to re-sign with the organization before the season opener. The deal will put to end the rumors of George exploring other destinations this offseason, as well as solidify the Pacers remaining one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
A superstar in the making, Paul George, has received his big break after just three NBA seasons. Photo Credit: NBA.com
There is no doubting that George received his share of questions from the media concerning his decision to either stay in Indiana after next season or test the free agency market. Growing up in Palmdale, Calif., and having family relatively close to Los Angeles, the idea of him wanting to play for a larger market such as the Lakers was definitely entertained. It seems as if the factor of loyalty and the chemistry the Pacers have allowed themselves to build for the past three seasons were just too important for George to leave on the table.
As we have all realized by now, remaining loyal to the franchise that drafted you is a rare thing in today’s NBA. Drafted 10th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft, George was a bit of a raw talent joining Indiana. Starting 19 games in his rookie season and averaging 7.8 points per game, nobody knew that it would be only two years before he emerged as the primary leader for the team down the stretch of tough games against the alpha-male LeBron James. Flash forward three years after his draft day and he is now preparing to make nearly the same amount of money as the players he admired in high school.
What Does This Mean For The Pacers?
Coach Frank Vogel will continue to build the chemistry of this team and always know he has his superstar returning. Photo: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule
For general manager Kevin Pritchard and coach Frank Vogel, it means two things. First, it shows just how much this organization is predicated on winning together. Not having the luxury to say you have a top five, or possibly top 10 player to build around, the Pacers have made numerous moves that have worked wonders for creating a winning formula. Acquiring future starters Roy Hibbert and George in draft selections and reaching into the free agency for veteran David West, Indiana built their core the hard way. Now, ensuring that their best player is sticking around, the Pacers have shown their desire to improve the strongest component to a championship contender: team chemistry.
This news also illustrates the class of Paul George. The dilemma of money chasing vs. team loyalty always comes into play when a huge free agency decision is near. The figures of his new deal are irrelevant in this case, considering any team after George next offseason would likely throw the same numbers at him. His decision to remain in Indianapolis was clearly based on his enjoyment with the team, as he stated in July that his “heart is still in Indiana.”
Other than the teams that hoped to be in the hunt for George, the franchise that dislikes this news the most is the Miami Heat. If the Big Three stay intact in South Beach after next year, they will have to deal with the Indiana Pacers for quite some time.
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