Lakers roundtable: Should Paul George still be a target after the playoffs?

Jason Reed’s take:

My answer is a bit more complicated than the other answers, probably based on my personal view of Paul George as a player.

Paul George is a great player. He is an elite-level defender and a good NBA scorer. George is a lower-level all-star that has made five all-star teams, three All-NBA teams and three All-Defensive teams.

George is great and I am not going to try and take away any of those accomplishments away from him because of one poor playoff performance in an elimination game. That would be crazy to knock everything George has done when he wasn’t in a great system for his play style.

However, George should not be the only option that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to pursue. As great as George is, he will not single handedly carry the Lakers to contention status. He may make them a fifth, fourth or even a third seed, but there is still a long way from LA to the Warriors and Rockets.

George has never proven that he can be that guy to take that next step. And as cliche as that may sound, that is exactly what the Lakers are looking for. They are looking for that guy to carry them to the next level.

If George is part of a superstar tandem with LeBron James, it makes plenty of sense to bring him in. However, bringing George in, just to bring in a good player, does not make sense to me. The Lakers need to look at their current situation through a wide lens. LA could potentially shoot themselves in the foot down the line if they sign George to a max deal just to have a star.

Next: Lakers' trade targets not named Kawhi Leonard

I think that the Minnesota Timberwolves are a great comparison. Minnesota has a great young core comparable to the Lakers. The team went out and got Jimmy Butler, who is very similar to Paul George. They were an eighth-seed. Now, the Timberwolves have less flexibility and certainty in the future.