The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of losing the NBA Finals. With that said, Paul George should become their number one target this offseason.
Paul George, who has reiterated his want to win, could potentially be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. George to the Cavaliers could be the best move for the Indiana Pacers also.
It just makes sense for the Indiana Pacers to accept less for George. Think about it this way: if the Indiana Pacers’ superstar tells the media he won’t re-sign unless with the Lakers or Cavaliers, then the Pacers have two options for trading partners. No team outside of those two would offer Indiana a deal because they would offer extremely little value for a George one-year rental.
Many people want to see the Lakers get George, and they could win with George. The problem with LA is that they have their core. The Cavaliers, shockingly, have more moveable, valuable pieces. The Lakers probably won’t give up Russell, Ingram, Clarkson, Randle, or Nance Jr. in order to snag a player they could more than likely get in free agency. If the Lakers don’t offer Indiana a good deal, then it just makes sense to allow the Cavs to snag George for moderate-to-low value.
The buzz is already starting because of the way this Finals is going.
So, let’s check out three possible trades that could bring Paul George to the Land.
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Paul George, Brooks to Cleveland – Tristan Thompson and Shump to Indiana
While the Indiana Pacers have cap room flexibility, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, are on a very tight budget. Usually they can figure out a way to pay their veterans very little in order to keep their stars, but players like Shumpert, TT, and Smith have engulfed several millions dollars in cap room while providing very little production.
With that said, the Cavaliers will have to give up Iman Shumpert in basically every trade scenario. The Indiana Pacers might not love this trade because they already have their future center, Myles Turner, in the grooming.
This could easily become a three-team deal since Thompson has value just not as much with Indiana.
Is this an ideal trade for the Pacers? Probably not, but since Cleveland will continue their dominance, they might be open to dealing some draft picks along with Shump/TT. The options are there, and this was only the first.
With that said, let’s check out the next.
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George to Cleveland; Chandler, Shump to Indiana; Thompson to Denver
This trade looks pretty perfect. The Nuggets, whose main rim-protector is Mason Plumlee or Nikola Jokic if you want to consider him that, need a big man. They can then play Thompson at the five, and he could help bolster the Nuggets rebounding. Denver ranked 27th in the league in blocks last season.
For the Pacers, they get a dynamic offensive and defensive threat in Chandler and a lockdown perimeter defender in Shumpert. This is one of the ways Indiana could make out the best while sending George to Cleveland. Chandler wanted out of Denver this past season anyway, and he might enjoy being able to lead the team in Indiana.
Obviously in each of these scenarios Paul George is being sent to Cleveland, so Cleveland, if they don’t have to give up Kyrie or LeBron, would probably be accepting or even initiating these trades. Both TT and Love didn’t perform well in the playoffs, so seeing them on their way out wouldn’t shock the masses.
Tell us. Who do you think wouldn’t do this trade?
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George to Cleveland; Knight, Warren to Indiana; Love to Phoenix
The Phoenix Suns possess the future with Devin Booker, so both Bledsoe and Knight are viable trading options. Phoenix has the fourth pick overall in this draft, and they are projected to get another point guard in De’Aaron Fox. Fox is a stellar player, and the Suns wouldn’t want to keep all three point guards.
This is the first proposed trade in which the Cavaliers lose a member of their big three. Kevin Love, who definitely proved that he is expendable, is possible on the market after this playoff run. Irving and James are truly the only untouchable pieces on this team.
In this option, they get to keep Thompson, and they can move the aging James to the four where he can show off his strength more than his speed. This would be a premium option for the Cavs and the Pacers and the Suns.
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This seems to be a win-win-win, so who do you think wouldn’t take it?