Jared Dudley discussed Paul George and Gordon Hayward’s future with Colin Cowherd on Monday. [The Herd]
Another day, another NBA player is answering questions regarding Paul George’s future. This is going to be an ongoing conversation until the All-NBA awards are announced, and then George makes a decision as to whether or not sign a mega contract extension with the Pacers, who drafted him 10th overall in 2010.
[C.J. McCollum recruiting PG to Portland]
Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Monday, Dudley, who just completed his 10th season in the NBA and his sixth back in Phoenix, was asked whether players are less inclined to jump teams knowing that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are dominant in the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively. (This discussion begins around the 35-minute mark.)
“Paul George is not staying in Indiana,” Dudley, 31, said positively. “What you do now is you can force a team for a trade. He can get to L.A. He can get to the Lakers or Clippers. He’s going to make them trade [him] in February [by the trade deadline] and then he’ll sign the five-year max there.
“Now someone like Gordon Hayward should be a little bit different just because he’s unrestricted now, and if he’s [voted on an] All-NBA team, he’d be turning down a lot of money to go elsewhere. And that’s where I think it’s difficult. That’s where I think you have to stay. You do a five-year deal, do a player option after three [years]. You give Utah three years with [Rudy] Gobert and their coach (Quinn Snyder) to get them over the top. But overall, I don’t think it’s good.
“I think it’s good when you have a star go to a different city that needs it, like New York.”
Dudley is a thoughtful veteran who I’ve enjoyed listening to several times on Zach Lowe’s podcast.
[Paul George on his future in Indy: ‘I ain’t even at that point yet’]
A couple things: George is under contract with the Pacers for two more years, through the 2018-19 season, with George holding a player option for the final year.
Also, if George is voted on one of three All-NBA teams and he decides to sign a supermax, which he’d be eligible to sign in July, the Pacers then could not trade him for a year. If he doesn’t sign a contract extension with the Pacers, plays the year out and is not traded, then he is only able to sign with another team for a maximum of four years.
But, since the Pacers own his Bird Rights, they can sign him for additional year worth approximately $35 million guaranteed.
Sidenote: Dudley is a big fan of the PG1s:
Shout out to @nikebasketball and @Yg_Trece for The BEST signature shoe this basketball season! Wow! Just bought 2 pairs for the summer! https://t.co/3qLfTdIBoZ
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) March 4, 2017
Yo @Yg_Trece I know you have the hottest shoe out but bro my size can't be sold out already 😂. We gotta talk pic.twitter.com/TCuDzwePtp
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 5, 2017
My man!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾 check your dm https://t.co/4QnYbhL6K7
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) March 8, 2017
[Thanks to VigilantSports.com reader Luke Sabastian for the heads-up.]