Los Angeles Lakers should look to trade for Paul George, not sign
By Jason Reed
Paul George and the Los Angeles Lakers seem destined to be together. However, instead of signing the star forward, the Lakers would be better suited in trading for him.
It has become such a foregone conclusion that Paul George will come to the Los Angeles Lakers that any other outcome would be shocking. This is surprising, considering nothing is guaranteed and Paul George ultimately decides his own destiny.
George has a player option on the last year of his contract. Thus, he has the power to opt out of his contract with the Thunder, or, can opt back in and give it one more go with Russell Westbrook. As disappointing as the Thunder were last season, the team still has immense star power and may simply need to move Carmelo Anthony and bring in other pieces.
For what it is worth, Chris Haynes of ESPN even reported that someone close to George said they would not be surprised if he does re-sign with the Thunder (h/t Silver Screen and Roll).
“They don’t want to hear this around this neck of the woods… Somebody recently close with Paul were telling me they wouldn’t be surprised if he re-signed.”
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) May 11, 2018
- @ChrisBHaynes on Paul George potentially coming to LA
Those already preordering their exclusive Paul George Lakers jerseys may want to hold off on that until the team actually signs him.
However, maybe signing George is not the answer. If the Los Angeles Lakers are serious about contending as early as season, as the $61 million in cap space may indicate, trading for George would actually be the smartest move for the Lakers.
Let me explain.
The Los Angeles Lakers would essentially get the luxury that the Houston Rockets got with Chris Paul in a sign and trade deal. With George having all the control, he can essentially hang an ultimatum above the Thunder.
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The Thunder can either trade George and the one year left on his deal and get something out of him. Or, the team can simply let him walk and not receive anything in return. Not only does this give George the leverage to force a trade to practically any team he wants, it would make the asking price for George much smaller than it would have been.
Of course, if the Lakers were to just sign George then the team would not have to give up anything. And while that is true, the pieces the Lakers would trade for George would actually put the team in a better position.
In this situation, the most likely trade would probably be Luol Deng, Josh Hart and a lottery protected pick in the future for George. As sad as it would be to trade Hart, George is obviously an immediate upgrade and the Lakers can replace Hart in the 2018 NBA Draft; hence why that pick should not be traded.
The reason this trade would be so huge for the Lakers would be the removal of Luol Deng from the payroll. While that would be replaced with George, now, the Lakers would have the same $60 million in space and a star already on the roster.
LA now becomes a perfect home for LeBron James, who can join an established star in George and a young core ready to take the next step. LeBron not only would the supporting cast around him but the Lakers would have enough salary cap still to add any pieces LeBron deems fit.
Thus, this move is about much more than just Paul George, it is an establishing move that will also lure in other stars to Los Angeles.
Next: Why trading for DeAndre Jordan would be genius
Trying to bring in multiple stars just with the cap space the Lakers currently have is going to be hard. However, in a sign and trade deal, it would become simple.