At what point will the Paul George trade rumors die down?
How about half-past never?
Every day something different comes out, painting a completely divergent picture about his future with the Oklahoma City Thunder. To start the week, we heard that he probably isn’t being sent anywhere ahead of February’s deadline. Now, however, there may be a chance the Houston Rockets try to get involved in an auction that may be taking place, per Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard (via ESPN Houston 97.5FM’s Kelly Iko):
Chris Broussard cited a league source saying that Paul George to the #Rockets would be a possibility as the trade deadline approaches. Noted any of Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker, LMAM, Ryan Anderson could be in play.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) December 19, 2017
This almost sounds ridiculous at the moment. The Rockets have won 14 games in a row. They have a 1.5-game lead over the Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference’s best record. They’re humming at every level imaginable. Would they really sacrifice two of their pieces for George, who can leave after this season, isn’t shooting a particularly high percentage from the field (his three-point clip is fine) and has struggled to coexist with two stars, in Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, since arriving in Oklahoma City?
Yours truly leans toward no. And yet, the Rockets are the Rockets. General manager Daryl Morey takes risks. The Thunder won’t flip George for Ryan Anderson’s deal, but if the Rockets can get him for Eric Gordon and one of P.J. Tucker or Trevor Ariza, you have to believe they’ll consider it.
George, as an All-NBA-level defender, raises their ceiling. It may not pan out, but this would be the dare-to-great play. And if it doesn’t work out in the end, the Rockets will find it easier to carve out cap space for a LeBron James free-agency push with Gordon’s contract already off the books.
Yes, the chances of this happening are slim. The odds of the Thunder making George available at all feel pretty flimsy. But if any contender would be willing to roll the dice on a midseason shakeup despite an already-dominant standing, the Rockets are it.
