The Cavs, Nuggets and Pacers restarted trade talks on Friday

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Cavaliers, Pacers and Nuggets restarted talks to set up a three-team deal Friday that would have seen Paul George land in Cleveland. What Indiana could have received in the deal was guard Gary Harris, forward Trey Lyles and a protected first round pick. Kevin Love would have been headed to Denver as well.

From Lowe’s story, which you can read in full here:

The Pacers, Cavs, and Nuggets on Friday resuscitated a three-way deal that would have sent George to Cleveland and Kevin Love to Denver, according to several league sources. The Pacers could have had a package centered around Gary Harris, Trey Lyles, and a protected first-round pick, sources say. The Cavs, Nuggets, and Celtics were stunned when news of the trade broke on Twitter.

There are reports indicating that Indiana’s Kevin Pritchard didn’t want to deal George to a team in the East, so that may factor in here. But this framework would have netted Indiana a better group of players. And for the Cavs, this is a tough way to not land George. Denver, over the past week or so, emerged as the third team needed in a deal with Indiana because the Pacers were not interested in Love. And with the Nuggets putting forth actually assets, this seems like the type of deal that could have brought George to Cleveland.

Now, the Cavs are out on George after missing on Jimmy Butler. And while it’s not really their fault — although having a GM would have helped, probably — it’s interesting that the Cavs were “stunned”.

Additionally, it’s now out there that Love was on the verge of being traded to now not being moved at all. Uncertainty about this future in Cleveland isn’t anything new, but this is the closest he’s ever come to being dealt since the Cavs acquired him before the 2014-15 season. And, for the first time, it sounds like the Cavs were actually willing to move on from him.