Earlier this month, then-Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. According to several reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers had strong interest in the four-time All-Star’s services, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

Just how close were the Cavs to landing George? ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says they were very close. In fact, “Woj,” as he is known, says the Pacers were ready to give George the green light to negotiate with Cavs team owner Dan Gilbert.

“It was so close, in fact, that Indiana was about to give permission to Paul George to get on the phone with Dan Gilbert,” Wojnarowski said in a recent report.

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The Pacers, as we all know by now, backed out of the trade and instead opted to make a deal for Oladipo and Sabonis from the Thunder.

There is no doubt that George, a 27-year-old Olympic gold medalist who averaged a career-high 23.7 points on 46% shooting from the field (39% from beyond the arc) last season, would have been an incredible addition to the Cavs’ lineup, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Now, he’ll look to make a statement in the Western Conference while the Cavs look to return to the NBA Finals.