Los Angeles Lakers rumors once again involve Paul George’s interest joining the team despite being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There have been plenty of Los Angeles Lakers rumors over the past few weeks. With free agency beginning today, there will be plenty of more rumors involving the Lakers and potential signings. One set of rumors that will cool down are the ones that involve Paul George.
The George trade saga came to an end right on the eve of free agency. The Indiana Pacers agreed to trade George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. It was a surprising deal since the Thunder were never mentioned as a potential landing spot. But, it was also shocking as the Pacers seemed to have a better deal on the table from the Lakers.
Whatever the Pacers thinking was during negotiations, it did not end up with George landing with the Lakers. But, this does not end the George-to-Lakers narrative in the slightest. In fact, it doesn’t seem to have changed that at all.
According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, it is a long shot that George and Russell Westbrook will both be with the Thunder beyond the 2017-18 season. Ding cites George’s intentions to sign with the Lakers in 2018 as a reason why.
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Ding also reports that the Lakers have sold George on their future under President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, and general manager, Rob Pelinka.
"But it’s also an age where every star basketball player has his own brand to sell. The Lakers, under Johnson and Pelinka, have already conveyed to George behind the scenes how he can be the first to experience what they will do—and George wants in."
George informed the Pacers prior to the draft that he would be leaving the organization after the 2017-18 season, with the Lakers being his preferred destination. There were even rumors that he was recruiting players to join him in Los Angeles despite not even being part of the team yet.
While the recruiting rumors were shot down, it seems like he is intent on landing with the Lakers next offseason despite being traded to the Thunder. Ding believes it is more likely George and Westbrook team up in Los Angeles than in Oklahoma City, but it is more than likely that Westbrook sticks with the Thunder.
While many fans may be disappointed that George wasn’t traded to the Lakers, they have to be encouraged by Ding’s reports. Also, George’s landing spot really plays into the Lakers’ favor.
While George and Westbrook are a great duo, the Thunder have a lot of work to make the team into a true contender. They could challenge for home court in the Western Conference, but they do not present the same winning opportunity that the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers would have.
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The Lakers should be very encouraged by how the George trade saga played out. They did not budge on their trade offer, so they retained all of their assets. George did not land with a team that has immediate title hopes, making it less likely they can convince him to stay long-term. While not trading for George is a slight disappointment, the future outlook is still positive for Los Angeles.