Paul George had a chance at a huge payday this summer through a contract extension. Had George made one of the three All-NBA teams, the Pacers would have been able to offer him a contract extension somewhere in the $200 million range thanks to the designated player exception. However, because George didn't make the cut on Thursday, any possible extension the Pacers could have offered George is going to be $70 million less. (For the entire All-NBA list, click here.)
Had George qualified for the exception, the Pacers would have gained a huge advantage in keeping him long term when trying to convince him stay. They can still offer him the most money, but nobody would be able to get even close to the $200 million range had Indiana had that option at its disposal.
The Pacers have a tough decision to make this summer with George entering the final year of his contract. They can choose to keep him and hope he re-signs, but there's a heavy amount of rumors that he's considering leaving. However, Indiana would have a good amount of leverage in trade talks with multiple teams showing interest in him last trade deadline. Via ESPN:
Several teams made trade offers for George in February, including the Atlanta Hawks, who offered four first-round picks in exchange for him. George, who grew up as a Kobe Bryant fan in Southern California, has expressed an interest in playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the past.
The Pacers should probably see how this summer plays out and weigh their options before making a decision. Maybe George will even make it easy on them and tell them he wants out. With a year left on his contract, and a lot of money left to be made, the Pacers have no reason to rush this. It's a long summer. However, they don't want to wait too long. The closer they get to next year's trade deadline the more George's trade value decreases.
