Report: George intrigued by idea of playing with Hayward
A potential pairing with fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward is music to the ears of current Indiana Pacers forward Paul George.
The 27-year-old is reportedly intrigued by the idea of playing alongside Hayward, sources close to George told ESPN's Zach Lowe.
2016-17 statistics
| Player | Minutes | PTS | TS% | TRB | AST | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul George | 35.9 | 23.7 | 58.7 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 20.2 |
| Gordon Hayward | 34.3 | 21.9 | 59.5 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 22.2 |
(Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
The Boston Celtics currently have their sights set on both wings, and, in a perfect world, would land them both this offseason to join Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford and forge yet another superteam.
Hayward will hit unrestricted free agency at midnight Saturday after informing the Utah Jazz that he's declining the $16.7-million player option on his contract. Meanwhile, George is still tied into his deal with the Pacers for one more season, and will be unrestricted himself in 2018, with the Los Angeles Lakers the heavy favorites to sign him at that time.
The Pacers are asking for a king's ransom in exchange for their franchise player, though, which hinders the chances of Boston - who are extremely protective of the assets they've accumulated over the years - of pulling off a trade to both teams' liking.
Related - Report: Celtics haven't included Brown, Tatum, others in trade talks for George
Hayward is expected to meet with the Celtics, Jazz, and Miami Heat over the next few days, with a decision concerning his long-term future soon following.