Insider: Pressure builds after Pacers make no moves at trade deadline
- Grizzlies at Pacers, 7 p.m. Friday, Fox Sports Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — Many within the Pacers’ organization — players and executives — felt a sense of relief when the NBA’s trade deadline passed Thursday and Paul George remained on the roster.
That relief, however, was soon replaced by pressure.
Mounting pressure.
Enormous pressure.
George will be in a Pacers uniform Friday when the team begins the second half of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. He plans to continue to be the Pacers’ leader for their final 25 games of the regular season and any postseason play.
What occurs after this season, however, became murkier Thursday after George was the biggest star who was discussed in a potential blockbuster trade.
Team president Larry Bird spent much of the day weighing the option of trading George to the Boston Celtics, a team that possesses several rotational players and valuable draft picks, including the lowly Brooklyn Nets’ first-round picks in the next two drafts. Ultimately, Bird decided not to deal George with the hope the franchise can convince him to re-sign after his expected opt-out at the end of the 2017-18 season.
George, though, said he was not pleased that Bird considered trading him after previously vowing to sign George to a max contract.
“I was kind of on the ropes just like you guys were on what was about to happen,” George said of his emotions before the deadline. “It was kind of a dark moment of uncertainty and that was the frustrating part. You want me to be your guy here, I thought I would have been in the loop a little more on that.”
The Pacers' ability to convince George to stay after his expected free agency following the 2017-18 season — the largest question looming over the franchise’s future — didn’t appear to take a positive step Thursday.
In addition to the talks about dealing George, the Pacers, after showing urgency earlier this week to make a move to improve their roster, were unable to complete any trades before the deadline. The team will now have to improve their 29-28 record in the Eastern Conference and solidify their spot in the playoffs with the roster Bird assembled last summer.
Bird couldn't persuade another team to take the Pacers’ first-round pick for a talented player, a move George favored.
“Just realistically, we have to keep improving,” George said. “We’ve got to keep getting better. We’ve got to know who’s going to be helpful going forward and who we’re building around. That’s the only thing we can take away from these next 25 games. We can’t go into the second half or go into it next season with any mediocrity. We’ve got to just improve. That’s what it comes down to.”
The Pacers entered the All-Star break on a season-long six-game losing streak and currently hold the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
In addition to Bird, the pressure increasingly shifts to coach Nate McMillan and Myles Turner.
After several attempts this season to get the Pacers to perform on consistent basis, McMillan will be tasked with motivating George to play his best and build better chemistry on the court and in the locker room. McMillan said he only talked to George about basketball Thursday, and their attempts to improve the team with certain adjustments. McMillan is optimistic that Bird’s decision to not make a trade, which would have brought its own adjustment, will benefit the team.
“My challenge to each one of our guys is, what can we do to make each other better?” McMillan said. “That’s what we need to do going down the stretch. So certainly keeping a group together can help. I don’t see why it shouldn’t.”
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In assessing his future, George said Turner’s growth will help determine whether he thinks the Pacers are going to be a legitimate, long-term contender in the East.
“I think me and Myles are the two cornerstone pieces for us right now,” George said. “A lot of it relies on how we develop, how well we get better together and just us being the pieces for the front office to work around. He’s going to be a big piece and a big turning point for our team.”
Awaiting George and the Pacers are the 25 pivotal games left in the regular season. George reiterated Thursday that he is committed to the Pacers for those games and any postseason games after.
When asked if he felt relief to stay in Indiana, George said it was better for everyone else in the franchise to put the trade deadline and the rumors behind them. George then said he wasn’t concerned about his future.
“At the end of the day, I’m in a good situation,” he said. “We’ve got to work with what we’ve got.”
Call IndyStar reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter: @ByNateTaylor.
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Grizzlies at Pacers, 7 p.m. Friday, Fox Sports Indiana