Could the Charlotte Hornets make a trade for Paul George?
One of the biggest names on the trade market this summer is Paul George. Do the Charlotte Hornets have enough to make a deal with Indiana?
Paul George’s time with the Indiana Pacers is winding down. It is only a matter of time before he is moved and this summer looks like the perfect for a blockbuster deal to happen. Even though the Charlotte Hornets aren’t on the shortlist of potential suitors, in theory, they do have enough to complete a trade.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the clear frontrunners to land George this summer but if the Hornets jump in and are willing to give up some extra assets, they could entice the Pacers. Indiana will likely be looking for a big return as the 27-year old is one of the top players in the league and he is coming off of a career season.
Due to Charlotte’s limited cap space this offseason, their only way to get a big name player like Paul is to either make a number of trades to clear cap space to go after a free agent or trade for one. With a full roster and all of their future first round picks, they have enough to help facilitate a deal. The questions are if they want to and if George wants to commit to the Hornets?
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If the former first round pick is really “hell-bent” on joining the Lakers, then there is no reason Charlotte should go after him.
But, if there is a slight chance that the Hornets could not only get George through trade but also convince him to stay long-term, they have to take that risk. They have been searching for a star, a secondary scorer and someone to pair with Kemba Walker. Paul checks all of those boxes.
The 6’9 forward is coming off of a season where he averaged a career-high 23.7 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 75 outings. He managed to shoot 46.1% from the field, 39.3% from three and 89.8% from the free throw line. Since suffering one of the worst basketball-related injuries in recent memory a few years ago, George has bounced back in a big way.
In a hypothetical trade, the Hornets could move Nicolas Batum for Paul straight up or with a first round pick going to Indiana to sweeten the deal. Or they could do a package deal including Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeremy Lamb and their 2017 lottery pick. Surely the Pacers will look to fleece Charlotte out of another pick. Considering that George wants to leave, that weakens their leverage in a trade.
Contract-wise, this trade works according to the almighty ESPN Trade Machine. Still, it may not work in reality. George may strongarm his way out of Indiana on his terms. That means that if he wants to go to LA, he may not accept a trade elsewhere.
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Speaking of assets, yes the Hornets do have enough to make a deal happen. Although, it is extremely unlikely. Charlotte probably won’t want to risk their future by trading for George but the risk may be worth the reward.