The February trade deadline is drawing closer and already trade talks are heating up. Teams that are looking to improve are discussing about possible deals. Two teams that are recently involved in trade talks are the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers. The latest buzz around the league is that the Orlando Magic are interested in Indiana Pacers All Star small forward Paul George.
According to the latest report, the Orlando Magic are looking for a scorer and they are targeting the Indiana Pacers Paul George. As for the players involved, there's still no clear discussions yet. But it's been reported that the Orlando Magic are willing to trade several players just to get the services of Paul George.
Reports said that the Indiana Pacers can choose from several players that would become eligible to trade on Dec. 15. The players to choose from are point guard D.J. Augustin, power forward Jeff Green, center Bismack Biyombo, center Arinze Onuaku, and small forward Damjan Rudez. The Orlando Magic have also stated that center Nikola Vucevic, power forward Serge Ibaka, and point guard Elfrid Payton are available for trading.
Rob Hennigan, the General Manager of the Orlando Magic, have previously stated that they are looking for a scorer and that he's willing to trade several players to get one. The Orlando Magic are currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 11-15 record.
The Orlando Magic's main problem is their offense. This season, the Orlando Magic are ranked 29th in the NBA when it comes to their offensive efficiency rate at only 94.8 points per 100 possessions. The addition of Paul George would definitely make a huge and immediate impact for the Orlando Magic this season. Paul George is already a proven scorer throughout his entire NBA career. This season, Paul George averages 21.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in 35.3 minutes of playing time.
The Indiana Pacers meanwhile are currently in 7th place in the Eastern Conference with a 13-12 record. However, Larry Bird, the Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations, have clearly stated that they have no interest in trading Paul George.
But there are reports that Paul George will opt out of his contract at the end of the season and is not interested in signing an extension with the Indiana Pacers. This further fueled speculations that the Indiana Pacers would trade Paul George before the trade deadline. The Indiana Pacers would rather get something in return for Paul George than lose him for nothing.
