The Indiana Pacers are entering an extremely important summer as they will have to figure out exactly what to do with star forward Paul George. Now an unexpected shakeup has occurred that could change just how the Pacers will operate moving forward.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Larry Bird has stepped down as president of basketball operations for the Pacers:
Larry Bird is stepping down as Pacers president, league sources tell @TheVertical. Kevin Pritchard will take over basketball operations.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) April 28, 2017
Wojnarowski also reports that Bird will stay on as a consultant with the Pacers:
Bird is expected to continue on as a consultant, working with Pritchard and the Pacers front office, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) April 28, 2017
No one is sure whether this was planned or whether Bird just decided this out of nowhere on his own, but there will certainly be a difference in having general manager Kevin Pritchard have the last word on all basketball matters as opposed to Bird.
Despite the change, the main order of business remains the same for the Pacers, and that is deciding on the future of George. The four-time All-Star can opt-out of his contract in 2018, and there have been a number of rumors that he hopes to end up in Los Angeles, assuming the Pacers aren’t a championship contender.
If the Pacers don’t move George, they risk losing him for nothing in free agency next season. The Lakers, led by Bird’s good friend Magic Johnson, sound like a franchise that doesn’t plan on waiting for all of their youth to grow up and want to acquire a star sooner rather than later.
Time will tell what Bird stepping down means for the Pacers, George, and the Lakers, but it is just one more reason that this offseason will be a crazy one.