Indiana Pacers star Paul George didn’t sound thrilled with the way the trade deadline unfolded when he talked to reporters on Thursday. He expressed displeasure with the lack of communication from the front office in regards to trade talks, saying that he’d like to have known exactly where things stood.

“I kind of was on the ropes just like you guys were on what was about to happen,” George said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Clark Wade. “It’s kind of a dark moment of uncertainty. That was the frustrating part. You want me to be your guy here, I thought I would have been in the loop a little more on that.”

That is a direct criticism of management. Leading up to Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline, the Pacers were reportedly talking with teams -- including the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets -- about potential deals involving the forward. New Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson even called old rival Larry Bird to discuss George, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, this was happening at the request of ownership -- not because Bird wanted to start over:

George’s gripe is understandable. Players like to be as informed as possible about ongoing trade conversations, and some stars expect it. This can be difficult, however, at a time as chaotic as the hours leading up to the deadline. If George was feeling uncertainty, other members of the organization could have been feeling it, too. 

The problem was that Indiana’s deadline strategy was to explore the market for George while simultaneously trying to get him more help. The fact that it did not choose a path meant that George was always going to be out of the loop -- all the Pacers could have told him was that they might trade him, but also might continue trying to build around him.

In a way, George created this awkward situation. By telling the Pacers that he wants to win a title with them but can’t commit to extending his contract or re-signing yet, he has essentially put the organization on the clock. Indiana is a mediocre team, and there is pressure on the front office to make it into a contender before George’s free agency in the summer of 2018. 

I would argue that, in this situation, Bird is simply doing his job by gauging the market. Sure, the Pacers could reject the notion of trading him and put all their energy into fixing his supporting cast, but there’s no guarantee that’s even possible in such a short time frame. If it looks like he’s likely to leave when he can, then it’s their responsibility to find the best trade out there.