George expected to be 100 percent next season

Paul George is expected to be back at full strength and, occasionally, playing a different position next season for the Indiana Pacers.

George played the final six games of the season that just ended after rehabilitating a broken right leg suffered last summer. He suffered a strained left calf in the season finale, but that isn't expected to hinder him approaching 2015-16.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel said he believes another summer of rehabilitation will get George 100 percent healthy: "(Doctors) believe he'll be back to full strength."

Pacers President Larry Bird wants to see George play more at power forward next season.

"David is our starter, but when we go smaller we'd like to see Paul maybe play some '4' and you know everybody says, 'You'll have a problem on the defensive end,' well, I don't think so," Bird said. "He can guard about anybody, and then on the other end, it's a major plus for us."

Bird recalled George's return after missing the first 76 games of the season.

"Well, he's come a long way," Bird said. "He had a serious injury, watching him go through the whole year, he'd be so up and so down. I remember watching him the week before we decided that he could come back, he looked awful. He couldn't even run. And he made a huge jump in just that week, week and a half. So he was excited about coming back and playing and he got to do that, so now he's just working and he knows what he's got to do. He'll be with our training staff most of the summer. He'll (also) be in L.A."

• Reserve point guard C.J. Watson is not expected to be brought back after battling injuries this season. He's a free agent.

"I don't think I'll bring him back," Bird said. "I like him as a kid and a player, but he hasn't played much in the last 20 games each season."

• The team wants to bring back Rodney Stuckey and believe he's interested in returning.

"I think we can get Rodney done," Bird said. "I think it's important for us to get him back here. But we'll see what happens. I know he liked it here. He's a real professional. He does all of his work, he's in here all the time. He lifts after every game. We need guys like Rodney. He was a major plus for our franchise."

• Bird and Vogel said they did not ask David West if he would pick up his $12 million player option but both said he spoke about next season and expect him to return.

"We did talk about what we had to do next year and the approach and all that stuff," Vogel said about West. "My gut is telling me that he will opt in."

• The Pacers won the tiebreaker over the Utah Jazz for the No. 11 pick in the draft lottery, which will be held May 19.

"We're set on (that) we're going to get a good player. Somebody is going to come to us, we're open to listen to offers for it, we're not set in stone and we know probably who is going to be there," Bird said. "Hopefully we get a player that can help us next year. If he can come in right away and help us, that's just a plus."