Rumor: Paul George Could Have Teamed Up with Anthony Davis in Indiana
Somewhere out there, there exists a reality where Paul George and Kawhi Leonard didn't join the LA Clippers this past summer. Instead, George is still hooping with the Indiana Pacers and his All-Star teammate, Anthony Davis.
On the latest episode of the Knuckleheads podcast, George told hosts Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles why he requested a trade from the Pacers, saying it had something to do with "the best power forward" in the NBA.
"I had, at the time, the best power forward saying he wanted to come to Indy and team up with me. They're like, 'We're a mid-major, we're a small market. We can't do it. We're a small market, we can't afford that.' I'm like, 'The best power forward wants to come play here, like, y'all can't make that work?' They didn't want to do it."
There's already plenty of speculation regarding who the supposed "best power forward" is, but according to HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy, a league source believes George is talking about Davis.
IndyStar reporter J. Michael tweeted about the mystery player being Davis as well, claiming the deal fell through because the Pacers would be gutting themselves in the process and later competing with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
At the time, Davis was fresh off a season in which he averaged a career-high 28.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per game with the New Orleans Pelicans. He had also signed a multi-year extension with the franchise two years prior, so it seemed as though Davis was in it for the long run with the Pelicans.
Davis certainly fits the description of being the league's best power forward at the time, but there were a few other notable power forwards on the market that summer, too: Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap.
Griffin, despite setbacks due to injury, was becoming a more versatile player with the Clippers. Millsap, meanwhile, had been named an All-Star in each of the last four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Both players were seeking lucrative deals, and the Pacers would have had a hard time signing either of them along with other competitive pieces.
George ended up being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on June 30, and Griffin and Millsap signed elsewhere.
Regardless, it's probably best that George didn't remain in Indiana with a superstar of his choosing. Who knows what the LA Clippers would look like now without him?
