As most basketball fans know, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been engaged in trade talks with Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler and Indiana Pacers forward Paul George over the last few days. However, a bit of new information has emerged with regards to the matter.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and ESPN Cleveland, the Cavs’ discussions surrounding Butler and George seem to be grinding to a halt, as they simply weren’t generating enough interest for All-Star power forward Kevin Love.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Butler intends to stay with the Bulls and would be reluctant to commit his long-term future to Cleveland. Butler, sources told ESPN, remains focused on trying to lead the Bulls back to Eastern Conference contention.
As for George, well, there were several hurdles in that scenario as well. The Pacers have reportedly engaged in trade discussions with the Los Angles Lakers, who seem to rank as George’s preferred landing spot. And let’s not forget the fact that George will be a free agent in the summer of 2018.
Prior to parting ways with team owner Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers organization, (now) former general manager David Griffin were aggressively pursuing trades for both George and Butler. Griffin, according to reports, was looking to add an elite two-way player to the Cavs’ roster. Now, it seems neither prospect will be coming to Northeast Ohio.
