Should the Miami Heat pursue Paul George?

Many are wondering about Paul George’s future, and if the Indiana Pacers will be willing to trade him. If they are, the Miami Heat should be ready to make an offer.

Paul George may have played his last game with the Indiana Pacers after being eliminated from the playoffs with Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. George had played well through the first three games of the series, but in Game 4 it was clear he felt the team’s fate rested on his shoulders. It may have been too much to carry, as George finished with 15 points on 5-of-21 shooting. A missed 3-pointer on the last possession of the game may have been his final moment as a Pacer, and now the focus shifts to the offseason.

George has two years left on his contract, but can opt out after the 2017-18 season and become a free agent, which he will surely do (he can increase his salary from $20 million to upwards of $30 million). When asked about his future in Indiana after the game, George said “I ain’t even at that point yet. Next question.” He may not be ready to talk about it fresh after being eliminated, but it’s something he will have to think about.

It’s something the Pacers have to think about to. They will spend this summer trying to build a team around George and prove to him they can compete in the Eastern Conference. But if they can’t, it makes sense for them to trade him and get something in return, rather than let him walk away for nothing.

That’s where the Miami Heat come in. If the Pacers open up the phone lines and take calls for George, should Pat Riley be dialing up Larry Bird to see what it takes?

Look at the playoffs right now. Look at the teams. Look at their best players. Every team has at least one All Star. Even the no. 8 seeds–Portland and Chicago–have a franchise player. The Heat are short a player the caliber of even Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside are very good, but Dragic isn’t at a Take The Game Over level and Whiteside plays a position it’s hard to dominate from in the modern NBA.

Adding George would put Miami in that club. George isn’t without his flaws. Someone who was at one point considered the next great two-way small forward has been lapped by Kawhi Leonard, and has moved closer toward the Carmelo Anthony end of the spectrum and further from the LeBron James-type.

But he’s averaged more than 23 points per game for the last two seasons, rebounds and distributes well, and bumped up his efficiency this past season. He can still defend at a near-elite level when he’s engaged, too.

For the Heat, adding George to Dragic and Whiteside would give them a triumvirate that could compete with the best teams in the East. Riley wouldn’t have as much to offer Indiana as teams such as the Celtics or Lakers would, but there is risk involved with trading for George. Namely, his impending free agency. Is it worth trading away a treasure trove of assets for a player who could still walk away?

George is believed to have eyes for Los Angeles, would he be as happy in Miami? Riley’s taken this chance before with Dragic. He was confident then that half a season in Miami would be enough to convince Dragic to stay, and he could have the same belief when it comes to George. As for the other teams, we’ve seen that Boston is hesitant to part with its assets, and the Lakers should have learned from the New York Knicks, who traded for Carmelo Anthony rather than wait to sign him as a free agent, that depleting a roster for one star still results in a long and hard rebuild.

His free agency will also result in a much higher salary. George will be 28 going into the 2018-19 season, smack dab in the middle of his prime. He should be worth a $30 million-plus max, but it also takes a team having the financial resources to pay him and build a winner around him.

Dragic and Whiteside are locked into relatively below-market max salaries for the next four years. Boston and Los Angeles are younger, but their best players will be eligible for larger maxes in the next few years. That’s something they have to consider.

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Still, those teams–and many more–will be calling Larry Bird about George’s availability. In the NBA, you acquire a star when you can and figure out the rest later. It would take a strong enough offer (something along the lines of Justise Winslow, who they select with their first round pick in June, either Tyler Johnson or Josh Richardson and another solid role player) and fortunate circumstance for the Heat to pull off a deal, but it’s something they should be considering.