The partnership between Paul George and the Indiana Pacers seems to be coming to an end. President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard was at a loss when he and George's agent had a phone conversation about George’s status with the team. Pritchard described the feeling at the end of the conversation as a gut punch.
Since the phone call with George’s agent, Pritchard has not yet talked to him about his decision in considering his free agency. They still had not communicated since last week in an annual celebrity softball game hosted by George at Victory Field.
Gut punch feeling to the Pacers
The phone call with Aaron Mintz, George's agent, made Pritchard consider the best option for the team in trading Paul George. Mintz told Pritchard that George wants to leave Indiana Pacers and test his free agency for the next season.
Kevin Pritchard, after the NBA Draft, shared his feelings towards the phone call. He stated that it was a total gut punch because prior to George's decision they had many talks about adding players, adding play styles and more strategies that would improve the offense and defense of the Pacers. He thought that the conversation between George was very inclusive until this weekend. They planned to build a winning team, and then George changes direction and decided to take his talents elsewhere.
Clearly, Pritchard felt betrayed at this point of time. The timing is at worst for he believes the Pacers can go back to the competitiveness they have in the past where the center of this is Paul George. Pritchard is upset with the sudden change of decision by Paul George. This is one of the most difficult times for the Pacers’ offseason history.
The Trade Talks
With Paul George’s decision already set, Pritchard has talked with several teams including the Celtics, Rockets, Cavaliers, Lakers, Wizards, Spurs, and Clippers. They all showed a great interest in getting him on their team. Several analysts had given Pritchard a deadline to decide for The Trade and that was the NBA draft night.
The deadline is to secure that Pritchard gets the best deal for George, however, Pritchard doesn’t believe in such a thing.
If the trade for George does not happen before the next season starts, he will still be playing for the Pacers. It will be his last year in Pacer's contract. Nevertheless, he respects the organization, Pritchard, coach Nate McMillan and former president Larry Bird.
