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Trade Deadline buzz: Lakers among teams asking about George

NBA.com Staff

There’s less than a day to go until the NBA trade deadline is officially over. As teams close in on that 3 p.m. Thursday deadline, chatter and rumors will pick up more and more.

Who’s garnering interest from whom? Which deals are waiting official approval from the league? Who’s making a deal for the stretch run of 2017 … or for their future?

We’ll keep you informed as the deadline inches closer and closer …

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The Lakers appear eager to deal guard Nick Young before the deadline, and they’re hoping to get a second-round pick in exchange.

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According to reports, the Washington Wizards are shopping point guard Trey Burke.

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Count the Lakers among teams at least asking about the availability of Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George. According to Ramona Shelburne, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have at least had talks around the Pacers’ All-Star.

The Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams to have inquired about the availability of Indiana Pacers star forward Paul George in recent days, league sources told ESPN.

While the conversation didn’t go beyond any initial expression of interest — which is common in the NBA in advance of the trade deadline — it’s notable simply for the names involved. Yes, new Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and Pacers president Larry Bird were on the phone. College rivals at Indiana State and Michigan State, NBA rivals with the Lakers and Boston Celtics, and now rival executives with the Lakers and Pacers.

PG13 apparently isn’t too worried about the trade talks, meeting with the media after practice Wednesday night.

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The trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards is official. The Wizards get forward Bojan Bogdanovic and forward Chris McCullough from Brooklyn in exchange for forward Andrew Nicholson, guard Marcus Thornton and a 2017 protected first round draft pick.

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According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Detroit Pistons are open to offers for big man Andre Drummond and swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope:

The Detroit Pistons are welcoming offers on two players previously thought off-limits — former All-Star center Andre Drummond and swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — as Thursday’s trade deadline nears, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Pistons have not committed to trading either player but have also not discouraged offers from interested teams for ‎the two most prized names on their roster.

Detroit, meanwhile, has steadfastly continued to ‎pursue a new home for point guard Reggie Jackson before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. Over the past two months, ESPN.com has reported serious negotiations between the Pistons and two teams (Minnesota and Orlando) involving Jackson, but sources said Wednesday that the prospects of a Jackson deal with the Magic this week were fading.

Sources say ‎Drummond is especially well-regarded by Pistons ‎owner Tom Gores and thus unlikely to be dealt before Thursday’s deadline. The Detroit Free Press also termed it “very likely” that Drummond will remain with the Pistons.

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The Chicago Bulls are apparently interested in Philadelphia 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor.

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The Hawks are reportedly close to adding some scoring punch, getting Ersan Ilyasova from the Sixers in exchange for Tiago Splitter and a pair of second-round picks.

UPDATE (11:17 p.m. ET): The deal is official:

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Could the Mavericks have something in the works?

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While the Pacers are reportedly gauging interest in Paul George, other teams aren’t seeing them as sellers.

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The Wizards have reportedly added scoring to their bench, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Nets will receive a 2017 first-round pick and two players in return:

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(Here’s the earlier edition of the Trade Deadline buzz if you missed it)

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