Despite his own publicly expressed interest in departing from Indiana in the summer of 2018, Paul George‘s arrival could get more complicated than just a couple of calls to Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers.
George shares the same agent as young guns D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle — Aaron Mintz, according to Laker Film Room — which could be a driving force in negotiations for the coveted All-Star forward.
Mintz has a lot of power in his hands — for one, he could seek added compensation from driving the price down on George by keeping his other clients in town or netting them extensions as a favor-in-relationship with the organization's brawn.
The agent will likely want all three to play together, meaning that a potential Randle trade bait could be just one of the many smokescreens tossed around during pre-draft week.
The Lakers are only expected to give the Pacers “just enough” in return for George, as they now stand to lose him for nothing if they keep him until the end of this upcoming season.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers don't plan to part ways with any of their young pieces, which could mean they're likely to make a pick-heavy offer and unload the salary needed to consider it a viable trade offer.