Paul George trade rumors: 5 teams that should deal for Pacers’ star

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Celtics have the flexibility to make the best offer for Love, and the Lakers could very easily enter the fray if they’re afraid of sitting on their hands and not being able to sign in free agency next summer.

But with Boston seemingly more infatuated with acquiring assets than using them, and Los Angeles confident in its ability to sign him as long as the Warriors continue to rule the league with an iron fist, the Cleveland Cavaliers might be the most desperate of all the Paul George trade suitors.

According to Wojnarowski, the Pacers have already discussed deals with several teams, with the Cavs headlining the list. Cleveland doesn’t have a first round pick to offer until 2021, and pieces like Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith or Channing Frye won’t interest Indiana in the slightest.

With LeBron James and Kyrie Irving being off limits, that really leaves only one trade candidate for a team strapped for cap space and in desperate need of a winning offseason to close the gap on the Warriors: Kevin Love.

The trade works straight up, though Edy Tavares would be thrown in as a sweetener. Indiana could push for Kay Felder or even the rights to Cedi Osman instead of Tavares, but they likely wouldn’t be sticklers on that part of the deal if those inclusions cross the line.

Either way, the Cavaliers add a versatile and dynamic two-way wing in their quest to upend Golden State’s reign. His perimeter shooting, ability to attack the basket and defense would make him a potential better fit than Love come playoff time, even if PG-13 and LeBron play the same position.

With whispers about the King heading west to the Lakers as his 2018 free agency approaches, the Cavaliers have to keep him happy. Trading for George would do that, and a team in Cleveland’s position has to do everything it can to win titles before James’ prime is over.

To that end, even the risk of a one-year Paul George rental is peanuts compared to the threat of losing LeBron again next summer.

This move would force the King to play at the 4, where he is most effective but also gets worn out quicker. However, the Cavs could breeze through the regular season only employing him at power forward on occasion to save his body for another run to the Finals.

In a potential rematch with the Dubs, LeBron would no longer have to exert himself to such Herculean degrees, since George could take on the task of guarding Kevin Durant and leave the King to doing what he does for the offense.

That would force KD to guard George on the other end, and Draymond Green would have to check LeBron. That’d already be making strides in terms of all the mismatches Cleveland had to cope with in this year’s Finals.

As for the Pacers, they’d be getting a legitimate star to pair with Turner in the frontcourt. Love is still only 28, and for all the criticism about his defensive shortcomings and his fit on the Cavs, people forget he averaged an absurd 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game the last season he was “the guy.”

His three-point touch would help space the floor in Indiana and he’d definitely the best — and most realistic — player the Pacers could get in a Paul George trade right now.

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However, if the Pacers are trading their franchise superstar, it would most likely be to undergo a full-scale rebuild through the draft and youth — neither of which the Cavaliers can offer. That leaves them susceptible to being one-upped by Boston or L.A. at the trade table, but if neither one of those teams jumps in, Cleveland could very easily emerge as the No. 1 suitor for PG-13.