Paul George free agency rumors: Lakers, Sixers interested in recruiting player; contract extension also possible

(Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)Featured in the image is NBA player Paul George

Reports predict that Paul George might be interested in joining a "contender team" after being an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Larry Bird, the president of Indiana Pacers told ESPN: "Paul wants to compete for a title. We want Paul here. He has expressed that he wants to be here. That could change overnight. You never know. But whatever I can spend, I'm going to spend."

One of the teams Paul George might end up with after the season is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before the NBA trade deadline last month, there were reports that Paul George expressed his intent to return to the Lakers once his deal was up. However, it did not materialize when the agents of the player reportedly asked Magic Johnson & Co. to just wait for the upcoming free agency period.

Another suitor lining up for the player is the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers, as the team is called, were reported to have made a deal for the player, involving Robert Covington, Nerlens Noel, and at least two of their first-round picks.

The Indiana Pacers are currently struggling with a 36–34 record for the season. Paul George compared the current rally with the past seasons, where they even went on a 33–7 start after the 2013 Eastern Conference Final.

"This season has been a reality check," the player said. "You think you are gonna be in those playoff battles, playing alongside those guys forever. You have to try and recapture that moment. And that moment for us was having a strong chemistry and identity. We don't have one now. I've never been on a team without an identity -- without a toughness identity," George added.

However, a contract extension is still a possibility. The Pacers might use the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) where Paul George will become eligible for getting the additional 35 percent of the projected 2017–2018 NBA salary cap in the first year of the contract.

Paul George garnered 22.5 points, 3.3 assists, and 6.4 rebounds in his seventh season in the NBA.

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