When Paul George made it known that he has no plans to be in a Pacers jersey after next season, an intense bidding war was expected.
One full of twists, turns, and tactics. One of the tactics that GM Kevin Pritchard is employing is the bait and switch. League sources say that Pritchard is shopping PG to both the Warriors and the Cavs by trying to convince both teams that the other is interested in the forward.
If Pritchard is looking for “picks and young players” as one front office exec has implied, a third team would have to be involved in a deal to send George to Cleveland with LeBron. The Cavs have already dealt their 2017 and 2019 first-round picks and can not trade their 2018 first-round pick unless they acquire another one.
The question is whether there is a team willing to give up so much for a player that realistically may leave in a year. This should be an interesting offseason as teams look for a way to challenge the Warriors and Cavs who have competed against one another in the Finals for the last three years.