Paul George trade: Lakers refuse to include Brandon Ingram in any deals

The Los Angeles Lakers have refused to include second-year forward Brandon Ingram in a potential Paul George trade with the Indiana Pacers, per reports. Last month, Lakers president Magic Johnson said in an interview that Ingram is the only "untouchable" player on the young Purple & Gold roster.

According to Cleveland.com, the Lakers and Pacers went back-and-forth on trade scenarios before Thursday. "The Pacers did talk to the Los Angeles Lakers about a package starting with Brandon Ingram, but the 19-year-old forward is exactly the kind of athletic player Magic wants on his team. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds as a rookie last season," Terry Pluto wrote in a report published Monday.

Prior to the draft, the Lakers were reportedly offering a package of Julius Randle or Jordan Clarkson and two late first-round draft picks (No. 27 and No. 28). According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe, neither player has generated interest from the Pacers front office or coaching staff.

Trade talks between the Lakers and Pacers stalled during Thursday's Draft after Indiana began weighing multiple offers from teams such as the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs were reportedly trying to engage the Pacers in a three-team trade involving Denver Nuggets which would have sent Kevin Love to Mile High City, George to Cleveland and a bunch of young players and draft picks to Indiana. The Pacers have no interest in acquiring Love.

Paul George to Lakers: Will it happen in 2017 or 2018?

If the Lakers are unable to land George via trade this summer, they are expected to pursue the All-Star forward in free agency next year.

Previously, the Pacers were expected to acquire multiple first-round picks in the 2017 NBA Draft as part of their efforts to rebuild the team. However, the draft came and went without a Paul George trade coming to fruition. The Pacers drafted UCLA forwards TJ Leaf and Ike Anigbogu with the No. 18 and No. 47 picks. At the end of the eventful draft, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said his team considered a plethora of offers for a Paul George trade but couldn't pull off a deal.

"Multiple things came up (on Thursday). We looked at a lot of things that included draft picks, but at the end of the day there's so much other stuff that doesn't include draft picks that we decided to stay put and look at everything that's on the board in the future. We're not going to make a bad deal. We want to get what we want," said Pritchard, who took over the reins of the Pacers after Larry Bird stepped down in April.

The Pacers reportedly lost leverage in trade discussions after George revealed his intentions to test free agency next summer. And since George is widely expected to join hometown franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers, other suitors for the All-Star forward are hesitant to part with valuable assets for a one-year "rental."

A Paul George trade is still very much likely to happen before the start of the 2017-18 NBA season. George averaged 23.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his seventh season for the Indiana Pacers. The two-way wing was drafted 10th overall by the Pacers in 2010. He led the Pacers to two Eastern Conference finals appearances besides making three All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. Stay tuned for the latest rumblings on a potential Paul George to Lakers trade, Lakers trade news and updates from the NBA offseason.