The Pacers Are Screwed

As if the NBA couldn't get any crazier, Paul George announced today that he is leaving the Pacers after the 2017-18 season in free agency. Wait, hang on. He ALSO said that his preference is (you guessed it) the Los Angeles Lakers. George has been dropping hints since his Pacers lost to Cleveland in the first round of the Playoffs, and today was the confirmation. 

It's easy to speculate about how good the Lakers will be in 2018, but I want to focus on Indiana. This just sucks. Paul George has just ripped out the heart of the Indiana Pacers with this one. Sure, there were locker room issues, frustration from top to bottom and the classic "who gets the ball for the last shot" thing, but Paul George's announcement today is the nail in the coffin. Not only do the Pacers lose a superstar in George, but they also can't trade him now. George saying he prefers the Lakers tells the rest of the league to not even flirt with him. Basically, the Pacers are stuck with a disgruntled All-Star who they can't even get anything for. To put it in simpler terms, the Pacers are screwed.