According to people not authorized to speak publicly, George, a Palmdale native, is still telling friends that he intends to be a Laker in 2018. Because of that, he knows the Lakers have little incentive to trade for him now.
Although George’s feelings could change, especially if he is traded to a team he likes, the Lakers aren’t willing to part with too much to trade for him. Second-year forward Brandon Ingram, a favorite of the Lakers’ coaching staff, has caught Indiana’s eye, but is off limits. Without the help of a third team, the Lakers weren’t willing to part with the No. 2 overall pick before the draft — the pick they used to take former UCLA star Lonzo Ball.
Meh. I’m not particularly bothered by this story because of the multiple reports in recent days (USA Today and Mike Giardi) which say George is keeping an open mind about this process.
It may seem like the Lakers are really rolling the dice here by not trading for George, but the truth is they really don’t have the assets to make a smart deal. It would have been foolish to move the #2 pick and the same goes for Brandon Ingram. If only they had their own 1st round pick in 2018.
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