Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George is reportedly intrigued by the thought of playing alongside Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward, sources close to George told ESPN's Zach Lowe.
The Boston Celtics, who have been trying to get the two on the same team, are aiming to sign Hayward, then use the combination of him and point guard Isaiah Thomas to lure George in hopes he will be willing to re-sign with the team at the end of the year.
The two players are slotted at the small forward position, but as the game goes smaller, a transition shouldn't be a problem. At 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-9, Hayward and George, respectively, would be better-fitted at the three and four spots to give Boston an agile lineup that can shoot from all spots on the floor.
Hayward will be an unrestricted free agent come midnight, having informed the Jazz that he's opting out of his $16.7-million player-option.
George, on the other hand, is still a Pacer for another season. When he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2018, Paul announced through his camp that he'd rather end up with the Los Angeles Lakers, who haven't made a strong enough offer to garner Indiana's interest.
Pacers president Kevin Pritchard seems hellbent on asking for two first-round picks and starting-caliber players from the Celtics, a price tag that's apparently too steep for Celtics president Danny Ainge.
Follow Us
Subscribe