Nate Taylor

nate.taylor@indystar.com

Grizzlies at Pacers, 7 p.m. Friday, Fox Sports Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George is aware of the reports that his tenure as an Indiana Pacer could be ending Thursday before the NBA’s trade deadline.

George, with a throng of media surrounding him Wednesday, said he has no concerns about such a trade. He then presented the facts: He returned to Indianapolis from the All-Star break, he practiced with his teammates inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse and his comments came while he was wearing a blue and gold Pacers practice jersey.

Then George announced his motivation — a goal that goes well beyond Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline.

“I’ve got a team to turn around in the second half and that’s what I’m committed to,” George said. He later added: “As far as I know, I’m in this jersey and I’m with this organization.”

The Pacers’ front office, led by team president Larry Bird, who declined comment to IndyStar, will have several decisions to make before the deadline.

Bird’s actions, whether they include George or not, will come after a pivotal meeting that took place during this past weekend’s All-Star events. A league source told IndyStar that George had dinner with owner Herb Simon. The source described the setting as a celebratory one. George, according to the source, told Simon he would like to go down as the greatest Pacer ever, but with one qualifier: The franchise has to be contending for a title.

A person with knowledge of the meeting who spoke to USA TODAY’s Sam Amick on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said that has Bird facing a critical crossroads. Make a trade to add more talent to the roster to help George or trade the team’s superstar small forward as the first phase of a reluctant rebuild.

Hours before the team practiced Wednesday, Bird and general manager Kevin Pritchard were trying to determine what they could receive from the Boston Celtics in exchange for George.

The Celtics, who possess the lowly Brooklyn Nets’ first round picks in the next two drafts and a number of talented rotational players, are eager to acquire another star for a 37-20 team led by Isaiah Thomas, in order to dethrone the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The reason the Pacers would consider dealing George on Thursday, according to a report from The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, is that the Celtics have also been linked to Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, also an All-Star small forward. A trade for Butler would take the Celtics — the team with the most to offer in a deal — out of the trade market.

George is not worried about a potential trade, a trade that would signify a monumental shift in the Pacers' philosophy.

“No offense, but it’s you guys that make this situation, or try to make this thing, as big as possible,” George said to the group of reporters. “Every guy goes through it that’s going to be a free agent. Again, I’m committed here. Myself and the front office, we’ve had great talks. I’ve got a job to do and I’m trying to turn a season around, trying to get us playing better. That’s where my mind is. It’s easy to block out everything else. I can’t allow that to weigh on me. This is what’s important right now.”

Multiple sources Tuesday told IndyStar the Pacers would not consider any trade discussion that involved George.

In 50 games this season, George has averaged 22.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Before the season started, Bird said he was committed to having George be the team’s franchise star.

Last month, Bird told IndyStar, “I told Paul and I said, ‘Look, if you want to sign a long-term deal, we’re willing to do that max (contract) and if you want to wait, I understand.’ But this year, we’re not going to worry about it, we’re not going to talk about it and he’s going to make the decision that’s best for Paul when it comes down to it.”

George said Bird’s message to him since the All-Star break has not changed.

“We’re on the same page,” George said of his relationship with Bird.

The Pacers (29-28) entered the All-Star break on a six-game losing streak and currently hold the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Most of George’s teammates didn’t answer questions about the trade deadline. Jeff Teague, though, said he would be surprised if George was no longer with the team after Thursday.

“I enjoy playing with him; (he's) the reason I wanted to be here,” Teague said of George. “I can’t see him without a Pacers uniform. I haven’t really thought about it. I just never thought about Paul George not being a Pacer.”

The Pacers, according to sources, also are looking to make a trade to bring in a veteran player to help George, Teague and Myles Turner in the second half of the season, which begins Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

George said the Pacers, who are willing deal away their first round pick to facilitate a such trade, are capable of adding another player who could help the team in the playoffs.

“I think we can make moves to get better,” he said. “I’m confident in where we’re at and what we can do.”

If he is not traded, George said the decision will ease everybody else’s mind, within the Pacers’ organization and the fan base.

George is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the 2017-18 season. The Pacers could offer the new designated player exception — which allows a team to offer a sixth-year on contract extensions, an extra 5 percent of the salary cap (35 percent versus 30 percent) and larger raises (7.5 percent versus 4.5 percent) — if George makes one of the three All-NBA teams after the season.

If the exception applies, the Pacers can offer George a contract worth roughly $212.3 million over six seasons; another team could offer approximately $123 million over four.

Toward the end of his news conference Wednesday, George was asked if he could see himself playing his entire career in Indiana. George paused before his answer.

“I would love to,” he said. “I would love to.”

Call IndyStar reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter:@ByNateTaylor.

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Grizzlies at Pacers, 7 p.m. Friday, Fox Sports Indiana