Report: Cavs interested in George even without promise he'll re-sign

After Paul George let the Indiana Pacers' front office know he plans to enter free agency in the summer of 2018, speculation immediately began to swirl about where he'd go next.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are interested, even without an assurance that the forward would be interested in re-signing with them, a source familiar with the franchise's thinking told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. The Cavaliers are one of the teams that Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard has already called about a potential deal, multiple sources confirmed.

George would reportedly prefer to go to the Los Angeles Lakers, but they apparently aren't willing to give up any of their young assets in a trade and can simply wait to sign him next summer.

The Cavs are confident their "championship culture and overall atmosphere" could eventually persuade George to stay, McMenamin reports, but it's not clear what they would offer for the four-time All-Star.

Since George's contract includes a player option for the 2018-19 season, he's essentially a rental for any team he won't re-sign with.