Indiana Pacers: The Pros And Cons Of Trading Paul George This Summer

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Apr 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) celebrates a three point basket and a lead over the Toronto Raptors with teammate center Myles Turner (33) the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers beat the Raptors 108-90. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Pro: Build Around Myles Turner

Paul George and Myles Turner could be a terrifying two-way duo in this league one day, especially if the Pacers’ young starting center makes the leap in Year 3. But let’s not kid ourselves here: One turns 27 years old in May, while the other is barely old enough to legally drink alcohol in this country.

More than likely, Turner’s prime will not coincide with the tail-end of George’s, and even if it did, there’s no guarantee PG-13 will be around long enough to see it. One promising youngster may not be enough to convince George that this team has championship potential, especially when he wants to contend in the here and now.

To that end, if the Pacers feel that George might leave them for nothing in free agency, wouldn’t it make sense to not only get something in return for him now, but to also aid the unavoidable rebuild by assembling a younger core around Turner?

With no trade deadline deals, Paul George and Jimmy Butler are now the summer’s hottest commodities https://t.co/g6QllflvMe
— The Ringer (@ringer) February 25, 2017

The Lakers rumors might prevent teams like the Suns or Nuggets from making an offer, which is unfortunate considering all the young talent and future draft picks they’d put on the table. But if the Celtics are willing to open up the treasure trove and make that Nets pick available, that’s one hell of a place to start a rebuild.

If it does turn out to be the No. 1 pick and the Pacers trade for it, Indiana could have its pick in a guard-heavy draft that features future star floor generals like Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. They wouldn’t have to worry about overspending to re-sign Jeff Teague and could go all in on a youth movement.

A core of Turner, a top-three draft pick this year and whatever other young player Indiana could pry from Boston (Rozier, Brown, Marcus Smart, etc.) would be a great foundation for the future and not a bad place to start after trading away a top-10 player like Paul George.

It certainly wouldn’t put the Pacers back on the quick path to contention, but it’d give them a few cornerstones to build around for the future.

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