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NBA Rumors: Paul George to the Lakers whispers are ‘alive and well’

By Michael Saenz

SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder stands on the court during their game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on November 7, 2017 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder stands on the court during their game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on November 7, 2017 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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NBA Rumors: As the Okahoma City Thunder continue to struggle, the Paul George to the Los Angeles Lakers rumors are reportedly alive and well

As the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to struggle to find its footing through the first quarter of the 2017-18 NBA season, it’s only natural to question what the next few months will hold for Sam Presti and the front office if something doesn’t drastically change.

OKC is currently 12-14 on the season and ranked 9th in the Western Conference. They sport the NBA’s 23rd best offense in the league, which is absurd considering the talents of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. On the bright side, they have the league’s second-best defense. But that hasn’t helped all that much.

With the possibility of both Carmelo Anthony and Paul George hitting the NBA free agency market after the season, you can’t help but wonder if that’s something on the back of the mind of Presti. Especially considering that they’re not even currently in the top 8 of the West.

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Will Presti press the issue if the team doesn’t turn it around over the course of the next two months? Should he trade George or Melo, or both? If there’s a possibility of losing one if not both during free agency next year, the trade option has to be considered. Especially if the Thunder continue to underperform.

What could make things a lot more interesting, and more difficult for Presti to find any trade value in the open market for Paul George, is the fact that the George to the Lakers rumors are “alive and well,” according to USA Today’s Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt.

"[via USA Today]Rival executives will argue that his value is depressed because of the alive-and-well rumor he is headed for the Lakers, knowing full well that the Thunder don’t want to lose a superstar for the second time in three summers after Kevin Durant."

The George to the Lakers rumor isn’t something that we’ve heard a lot about since he was dealt to the Thunder. Why? Well, it’s simple.

Who would give up the chance to play with two other hall of famers (Westbrook, Anthony) to play with a losing team in LA? George leaving the Thunder after this season to join the Lakers felt like an afterthought and wishful thinking before the year began. However, apparently it’s still very much a strong possibility according to those around the league.

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And with the Oklahoma City Thunder struggling, perhaps it’s something we’ll begin to hear more and more.

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