Boston Celtics May Trade for Paul George After Signing Gordon Hayward
Everyone in the league knows that Paul George wants to join the Los Angeles Lakers when his current contract ends next summer. However, that important piece of information hasn't stopped teams from going after him.
Aside from the Lakers, contenders like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs have expressed interest in acquiring him before the draft, but the Pacers opted not to move him since they didn't like the offers they received at that time.
With their hoard of assets and cap flexibility, the Celtics are planning to make another George once the free agency period begins on July 1, and they may have an ace up their sleeves.
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According to CBS Boston's Adam Kaufman, the Celtics are in a position to trade for George, but a deal will depend on Gordon Hayward signing with the team in free agency. Kaufman added that they see George as more than just a one-year rental and they have a three-year extension in place for him.
Trading for George sounds risky because he can just turn down the extension and leave after the 2017–18 season. But it's a gamble the Celtics are willing to take.
For this to happen, they will have to get Hayward to join them first and that's going to be crucial to their plans to lure George. With a lineup featuring Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, Hayward and George, the Celtics can challenge the Cavaliers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.
The question is, can the Celtics acquire George without overpaying for him? Right now, new Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard isn't in a hurry to trade George, so he will probably wait until he receives an offer he likes. The Celtics have a lot of valuable assets to entice the Pacers to let go of George, but they shouldn't give away too much for a player who may leave after one season.
