The Portland Trail Blazers tried to trade for Paul George in 2017, according to NBA insider Zach Lowe of ESPN. George was on the Indiana Pacers at the time.
The Blazers offered the Pacers multiple picks and at least one player for George. However, Indiana wound up trading George to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“On that same 2017 draft night, the Indiana Pacers were taking offers on Paul George — entering the final year of his contract,” Lowe wrote. “Portland checked in that night, offering multiple picks and at least one player for George, sources told ESPN then, but the Train Blazers never appeared to have gotten into the real negotiating.”
George played two seasons with the Thunder before getting traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2019. Damian Lillard and the Blazers beat OKC in the first round of the 2019 playoffs. Portland got all the way to the 2019 Western Conference Finals. However, the Golden State Warriors swept the Blazers in the conference finals.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Paul George, Indiana Pacers, Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Lillard has demanded that Portland trade him to the Miami Heat. The seven-time All-Star expressed his frustration with the Blazers in recent years for failing to construct a roster capable of making a title push. The Weber State product felt the time was now to request a trade after coming off a career year.
Lillard was upset the Blazers didn’t trade the third overall pick in the 2023 draft for a star player. Portland drafted Scoot Henderson, who plays the same position as Lillard, with the third pick. A Lillard trade is not expected to happen anytime soon since Summer League is taking place in Las Vegas.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Paul George, Indiana Pacers, Damian Lillard & Portland Trail Blazers Updates
The Blazers have not been impressed by the Heat’s trade package for Lillard, who averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season. The Heat, who have reached two NBA Finals since Jimmy Butler came to Miami in 2019, believe they can win it all next season with Lillard in the fold next to Butler and Bam Adebayo.
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