Pacers GM: George trade ‘difficult’

The Indiana Pacers traded Paul George because a deal was the best way to protect the team once the player made clear his intention to leave via free agency next year, general manager Kevin Pritchard said Thursday.

Pritchard announced the four-time All-Star was headed to Oklahoma City in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo and power forward Domantas Sabonis.

“It was difficult both on a personal and professional level,” Pritchard said on the first day teams could announce deals. “Everyone knows what Paul meant to this franchise; he was a tremendous human being as well as player here for seven years.”

The Pacers were in a bind: They could build around George for one final run at a title, then lose their star and get nothing in return, or shop him for the best deal they could find given that his intention to test free agency hurt his trade value.

Oladipo and Sabonis are former lottery picks. Oladipo, a former Indiana Hoosiers star, was selected No. 2 overall by the Magic in 2013. He is expected to start in a backcourt that will include Lance Stephenson and Darren Collison, who is expected to sign as a free agent.

Free-agent forward Kelly Olynyk agreed to a reported four-year deal worth in excess of $50 million. Boston couldn’t afford to keep Olynyk once it agreed to sign Gordon Hayward.

Vince Carter, 40, agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal, the Sacramento Bee reported. He joins Zach Randolph, 35, as free-agent acquisitions from Memphis

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whom the Kings want to mentor their young players.

Forward Dirk Nowitzki, 39, agreed on a two-year, $10 million contract with a team option in the second year, enabling him this coming season to join ex-Laker Kobe Bryant as the only players to spend 20 seasons with one NBA club. Nowitzki made $25 million on a similar deal last season.

The team signed free-agent forward Rudy Gay, 30, who played 30 games with the Kings last season before suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon.

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