Cavaliers Rumored to Be in 'Very Early Stages' of Paul George Trade Talks

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking into a potential trade that could land them Paul George from the Indiana Pacers, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

While there have been discussions between the two teams, they are still in the "very early stages of making calls." George is set to become a free agent after the 2017-18 season.

Amico updated the situation later Sunday night:

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, George has already told the Pacers he intends to explore free agency in 2018 and prefers the Los Angeles Lakers.

This has caused Indiana president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard to aggressively seek a trade, with the Cavaliers being one of "several teams" to discuss deals for what could be a one-year rental.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders believes odds are unlikely that George signs a long-term deal:

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com added the Lakers would prefer to simply wait for him to become a free agent instead of giving up assets in a trade.

The four-time All-Star is coming off statistically his best season, averaging a career-high 23.7 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field. A move to Cleveland would help in the arms race against the Golden State Warriors after the squad lost the NBA Finals in five games this month.

This deal could also be similar to the move that brought Kevin Love to the Cavaliers before his contract ran out with the Minnesota Timberwolves, although Cleveland was forced to give up Andrew Wiggins in that trade.

Based on George's ability, however, any movement could alter the NBA landscape for the upcoming season.