After another first-round exit, the future of Paul George with the Indiana Pacers remains at a crossroads. The Miami Heat should seriously consider pursuing the all-star forward.
The summer of 2004 was a transformative period for the Miami Heat.
The Heat had just completed their season with a 42-40 record, strikingly similar to this past season. And like this past season, the Heat featured a roster filled with exciting and up-and-coming players. Aside from rookie Dwayne Wade, the Heat featured 24-year-old Lamar Odom, an incredibly versatile forward playing his first season in Miami.
Also, Caron Butler was in just his second year in the league, having been the Heat’s first round selection in the 2002 draft. However, despite the team’s considerable upside in reaching the second round of the playoffs, team president Pat Riley was always thinking of the bigger picture.
So when Shaquille O’Neal became available, Riley pounced, dealing Odom, Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for O’Neal. Sure, this decision could not be made lightly. At the time of the deal, Riley stated the following:
"“It disheartens me to see them leave. However, you don’t get many chances to acquire the best player in the league, and this was a trade I felt we had to make.”"
O’Neal was 32 at the time of the trade, and had been involved in somewhat of a power struggle with teammate and fellow superstar, Kobe Bryant. So O’Neal would now be joining another superstar guard in Wade in the pursuit of landing the Heat their first championship.
The end result, of course, was the Heat winning the title in 2006, just two years after the trade.
Just prior to O’Neal’s No.32 Heat jersey being retired by the franchise this past season, Riley reflected on the trade:
"“I’ll say this, and I mean this. Shaq’s acquisition was bigger than any acquisition that we ever made, including the Big Three… getting Shaquille changed everything for our franchise.”"
More recently, Riley swooped when point guard Goran Dragic became disenfranchised with his role at the Phoenix Suns. Riley noted at the time:
"“We are incredibly pleased to take another step in getting the Miami Heat back to real championship prominence with the acquisition of Goran Dragic….we felt that once he became available, we would do all that we could to acquire him.”"
This now brings us to the present. And, more specifically, Paul George.
This past season, George averaged 23.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.9 minutes per game. His shooting numbers across the board – 46.1 percent from the field, 39.3 percent on 3’s and 89.8 percent from the line – were excellent.
However, his team was swept out of the first round by the Cavaliers. George’s future in Indiana has been the subject of speculation for months. With the ability to opt out of his current contract at the end of the 2017-18 season, George has been heavily linked to the Lakers, primarily due to his Southern California roots and rumors that he has his eye on playing there.
George is the definition of a top-notch two-way player. At 6-foot-9, and excellent defensively both on the perimeter and the low block, some could argue George should be playing small-ball 4 (though he’s been averse to playing it in the past). Offensively, George’s ability to play both on and off the ball and score in a multitude of ways makes him a nightmare for opposing teams.
Like he did with O’Neal and Dragic, Riley should be eyeing a move for George–possibly the best player available on the trade market. But there are a few problems with a potential George trade, that we’ll outline here.
Playing the 4
In February, Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star grabbed headlines regarding George’s reluctance to play the 4:
"He’s not merely a potential power forward — he’s the prototype in today’s smaller, sleeker NBA that demands a combination of size, skill and speed from that slot. Paul George has all three. But he won’t play the four. George refused to do it last season, complicating Larry Bird’s offseason remake of what had been one of the league’s bigger, slower lineups. And McMillan indicated before Thursday’s game that George has declined to do it this season even now, with the Pacers missing two power forwards. This is what McMillan told me when I asked him Thursday: Any thought, on an emergency basis, of putting Paul at the four? “We’ve tried that, but Paul is …” McMillan said, then paused, unsure how to finish that sentence. Paul is … what? McMillan tried again. “Um, we’ve tried that some — but no,” he said. “I wish it was that easy, and it really should be, but it’s not.” It really should be that easy? Man, that’s as close as you’ve ever heard any of George’s bosses — McMillan, Bird, former coach Frank Vogel — say what’s on everyone’s mind: Paul George is putting himself ahead of the team. George says otherwise, of course. When I asked him Thursday night if he’d play the four, he said he would. Maybe. “It might get to that point of trying to stretch the floor,” he said, “trying to speed us up, try to bring something different, something new to this team.” Those are George’s words about playing power forward. These are McMillan’s: “That’s something he doesn’t want to do.”"
The crux of the article was to explain that George was complaining about the team not adapting to the modern ways of the league, while at the same time absolving himself for not playing at the 4 spot.
Despite his differences with the coaching staff and the front office, George was able to compile another terrific season and the Pacers still made the playoffs. But George’s best stretch happened late in the season (and maybe because he was gunning for an All-NBA selection, which could make him eligible for a lucrative designated player extension). Moreover, the Pacers looked disorganized, and were completely out-classed by the Cavaliers in the first round. It’s unclear how the team moves forward if George isn’t willing to play the 4 in smaller lineups.
The L.A. Connection
As mentioned earlier, the George connection to the Lakers is very much out there. But there are some factors that could very much work in the Heat’s favor.
First, the Lakers are a franchise in transition. They have very recently appointed a new president of basketball operations in Magic Johnson, and a new general manager in Rob Pelinka. And that’s not to mention the ownership issues surrounding the team in recent times. In addition, the team has compiled a 91-237 record over their last four seasons. Despite multiple high draft picks, they’ve yet to find a star player to build around.
In contrast, Riley has overseen the Heat front office since his arrival in 1995, the same year in which team owner Micky Arison took control. Furthermore, head coach Erik Spoelstra has been in charge since 2009. On top of this, the Heat’s 30-11 record to complete this past season left an undeniable mark across the league.
Joining a team that is in complete rebuild mode is not likely to be overly appealing for a player of George’s stature. He is soon to turn 27, and will essentially be at the peak of his career. Rather, he could join Hassan Whiteside and Dragic in Miami and complete a trio that could compete near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Of course, there is the issue of George being unwilling to play the role of a stretch 4, which, like LeBron James, could help unlock George’s potential while also filling a major need for the Heat.
Enter Riley
If anyone can convince George on the merits of such a move, it’s Riley. The Heat excelled in the Big Three era when LeBron played extended minutes at the power forward position, creating exceptional levels of flexibility on both ends of the court.
Furthermore, the famed Heat culture, and its history of winning, is a further feather in the cap for Riley. So if the Heat decided to pursue this path, formulating a suitable deal would be the next step. A package revolving around Justise Winslow, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson, and an agreement to trade Miami’s 14th pick in the draft.
At his recent annual exit interview, Riley stated the following when quizzed about the status of Richardson:
"“Josh got on this incredible three-point run at the end of the season. Those two (Richardson and Winslow) players are part of our future, a big part of our future. I take exception with some of you in the media, though it’s your right…”"
And Winslow:
"“I’ve been around players like Justise Winslow for a long time. He is a warrior, defender, cares about winning, has tremendous energy. The guy had a tough ride this year. He had a sprained wrist and played with it. Separated his shoulder, had that surgery. I took a look at a lot of those guys like Justise who came in as one and done guys. Kawhi Leonard averaged eight points a game his first year. Six years later, he’s 25. We are measuring this guy after 75 games. That’s unfair. Give him a chance. He ain’t going anywhere. I’ve read where you can package him here, package him there. He has something to prove. There’s no doubt. He will prove it. He’s a winner.”"
Taking it on face value, it seems Riley plans to build with Richardson and Winslow. However, remember the O’Neal trade.
Odom wound up being a two-time NBA champion with the Lakers and was the 2011 NBA sixth man of the year. On the other hand, Butler became a two-time all-star and was was a member of the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks (ironically defeating the Heat).
Still in the infancy of their professional careers, it’s obviously very difficult at this stage to forecast how Winslow, Richardson and Johnson will progress over the coming years.
Next: Pat Riley opens up on the breakup of the Big Three
But one thing that cannot be disputed is the ruthlessness of Riley. With the O’Neal and Dragic deals, Riley sensed the opportunity and pounced. Riley is 72 years old, but still wants to get one more championship. Trading for George could jump start Miami’s chances.
So considering Paul George and the Indiana Pacers’ marriage being somewhat clouded, it represents the ideal time for, quite possibly, Pat Riley’s last big swing.