Mired in postseason embarrassment after a quick sweep on his Indiana Pacers at the end of the 2016-17 season, Paul George let the team's front office know his intentions to leave Indiana, giving them one year's time to potentially deal him to another team in hopes of getting a package back for him.

In the midst of new management under president Kevin Pritchard, the franchise decide to take matters into their own hands and explore trades, only to be met with George's camp de-incentivizing other teams from making an offer, claiming he'd only be a rental and wouldn't sign with them during the summer of 2018.

George didn't need to give the front office any indication of his plans, but thought he should do so after watching the experience his former teammate Danny Granger had after he was slowed with injuries.

“I've seen a guy that played for that (Pacers) organization, gave that organization everything they had, or everything he had, and was essentially traded to the dogs. And I'm speaking on Danny Granger, who was one of the better players in Pacers history,” said George in USA TODAY Sports' A to Z podcast.  “And at the time, they traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers. And this was a guy that was battling injuries, and that's where you send him? The guy is trying to get back on his feet, trying to work back to this league, (and) you send him to the Philadelphia Sixers?”

“Why, because that makes you better? Do what's right by the player that's given you everything. So (there) was a lot of that in my seven years there, a lot of that kind of played a roll and (took) a toll on me on, ‘Well, what will they do to me now? Like, where would I go?' So you know, it was, I think, God had me in this situation.”

Despite George's preference to land with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team openly said they wouldn't look out for George's best interests, but the franchise's — ratifying George's concern with the organization.