November 27, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) turns the ball over against the defense of Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
With the impending doom of this upcoming season, 2014 free agency is all Laker fans are talking about these days. Some of these ideas the fans have about who the Lakers can sign are near impossible, however. Some of those players fans are talking about include LeBron James, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Kyrie Irving. Sorry to rain on your parade, but it’s unlikely that any of those players sign with the Purple and Gold next summer.
For now, I will just explain why Paul George won’t be on the Lakers anytime soon. First off, Paul George is still on his rookie contract, which means he will be a Restricted Free Agent next summer. What does this mean? Well, if the Lakers offer Paul George a max contract, the Indiana Pacers will be able to either match the offer and pay him the max, or they can leave the offer, allowing George to sign with the Lakers. There is no way the Pacers don’t match that offer, so there’s one reason why George won’t be joining the Lake Show.
The second reason comes from a couple of quotes Paul George gave to Yahoo’s Marc Spears.
"“Everywhere I go [in L.A.] they say, ‘We want you here. Don’t sign with the Pacers.’ I hear that constantly. It’s getting a little repetitive … but I’m getting used to it.”“I’m happy to be in Indiana. I’m happy to be where I am. If I was going to leave Indiana and come to the Lakers, it just wouldn’t be a smart move for me. We got a great thing going right now.”"
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Laker fans, but it is highly unlikely that Paul George will be a Laker. There are more of these posts to come, so be on the lookout.