George frustrated Pacers didn't keep him in loop as deadline neared

The future of All-Star swingman Paul George with the Indiana Pacers was up in the air until the clock struck 3 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon.

The lines of communication between the franchise player and management weren't strong, leaving George on pins and needles not knowing if he'd still be with the team or not following the league's trade deadline.

"I kinda was on the ropes, just like you guys (media) were, of what was about to happen," George said afterwards, according to IndyStar Sports' Nate Taylor. "It's kind of a dark moment of uncertainty, and that was the frustrating part. If you want me to be your guy here, I thought I would have been in the loop a little more on that."

Reports circulated in the days leading into Thursday's deadline that the Pacers were gauging offers for the 26-year-old, perhaps fearing that he'd walk at the end of next season, and believing that acquiring assets while his value is still high would be the best course of action.

Then again, team president Larry Bird reportedly had zero intentions of entertaining offers for George at all, as it was ownership's desire to pull the trigger on a deal.

Related - Report: George wants to play for hometown Lakers in 2018

Teams that reportedly inquired about George's availability included the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets, who made a "monster offer" to Indiana that ultimately didn't pan out.

This isn't the first time George has used "dark moment" to describe his feelings about the Pacers, as he told USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt earlier in the month that his poor health and the team's lack of chemistry with all of its new pieces at the start of the season provided little reason to be optimistic.

Indiana currently holds a record of 29-28, good enough for sixth in the Eastern Conference. George leads the way in scoring with 22.3 points per game, along with 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals in 35.7 minutes.