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NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Trade For Paul George

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 06:14 PST, May 4, 2016

NBA rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers and the upcoming draft have been heating up over the past few weeks. After finishing with a disappointing record of 17-65, Lakers’ fans once again had to watch another year of unfulfilling and embarrassing basketball. With Kobe Bryant now retired, the Lakers are in need of a new star player. While the team has excellent odds to land a draft pick in the top three, the latest rumors believe they could swing a trade for Indiana Pacers forward Paul George.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Lakers have been linked to both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. While Durant is going to become a free agent this summer, Westbrook still has another year left with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The thought process was that both players could team up and join the Lakers over the next two seasons. While this remains a possibility, it may be difficult to convince them to sign the Lakers, and the team may have to make a trade to get their star.

Even though the Lakers have some young and interesting prospects, they are not currently a competitive team. Since the Lakers apparently want to start winning now, as reported by Bleacher Report, they are willing to trade the No. 1 overall pick if they win the lottery.

Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd overviewed the Lakers’ thought process.

“I’ve now been told by two separate sources, even if the Lakers get the No. 1 pick, they’re trading it. They don’t want to rebuild anymore. They want to get a star NBA player. They will call teams if they get the No. 1 pick and shop it around the league.”

For a team that has possible budding stars in D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, this may be a bit premature. Since the Lakers are expected to have another high draft pick this season, they could potentially be a good team in a few years. Regardless, the Lakers wish to be good during the 2016-2017 season, and a trade for a current star could make them much more competitive.

Bill Simmons of The Bill Simmons Podcast took to Twitter to discuss the possibility of the Lakers making a trade for George.

If the Lakers could get the deal done for only their first-round draft pick and Russell, it would make a lot of sense for the future of their organization. While Russell has tremendous potential, George is a 26-year-old borderline superstar. In today’s NBA, it is practically impossible to win without a true star. The Detroit Pistons did it over a decade ago, but the league is different today.

While the Lakers could be giving up Ben Simmons and his potential, the draft is still a question mark. Top players in the NBA draft are actually more of a sure thing than any other sport, but Simmons has still never played a second in the NBA. George is an established star, and he would instantly make the Lakers a much better team during the 2016-2017 season.

The biggest issue is how much the Pacers would want in return. It is wishful thinking that Russell and the Lakers’ first-round pick would get the deal done, and it is likely that the Pacers would want more. Whether or not they ask for additional future first-round draft picks or other players remains to be seen, but the Pacers are not going to part with George for nothing.

As Fansided notes, George’s return from injury has been remarkable.

“It would simply make no sense for the Pacers. George made a spectacular return from injury this season with the best numbers of his career, once again showcasing why he’s a thoroughly deserving All-Star and one of the top two-way players in the NBA. Plus, after almost upsetting the Toronto Raptors by taking them to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, primarily due to George’s stellar play at both ends of the floor, the Pacers know just how much they need him.”

Rarely are there any untouchables in sports, but the Lakers are going to have to pay a hefty price. If they are truly committed to getting George, it very well could happen. With the NBA draft only a month away, rumors will continue to involve Indiana Pacers forward Paul George being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

[Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images]

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