Paul George made clear to the Pacers brass this offseason he had no intentions of re-signing with Indiana when he hit the free agent market in 2018, and reportedly preferred moving to L.A. to join the Lakers.

Those bits of information were enough to get him traded this offseason to the OKC Thunder, who many believe will be renting the star for one season before he bolts for the Lakers. But in an interview with Sports Illustrated, George said to pump the brakes a bit on rumors that he's hell-bent on moving West no matter the circumstances, and did not entirely rule out staying in OKC long term -- so long as they're winning.

"I grew up a Lakers and a Clippers fan. I idolized Kobe. There will always be a tie here, a connection here. People saying I want to come here, who doesn't want to play for their hometown? That's a dream come true, if you're a kid growing up on the outskirts of L.A., to be the man in your city. But it's definitely been overstated. For me, it's all about winning. I want to be in a good system, a good team. I want a shot to win it. I'm not a stats guy. I'm playing this game to win and build a legacy of winning. I've yet to do that. I'm searching for it. If we get a killer season in Oklahoma, we make the conference finals or upset the Warriors or do something crazy, I'd be dumb to want to leave that."

George had been noncommittal about a return to Indiana regarding his free agency, but when Pacers team president Larry Bird resigned in June, he says he felt a shift in the franchise and in himself, and eventually told Indy of his intentions to leave so the team could get something in return.

In a straight-up swap, OKC acquired George for Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis -- two former lottery picks -- but two relatively unproven youngsters in return for an All-Star, franchise-altering addition. It's a huge coup and reversal of fortune for the Thunder, who lost Kevin Durant to the Warriors last offseason for nothing in return.

George joins a contender-ready team alongside MVP winner Russell Westbrook and a young core of Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson, which will give George a considerable roster upgrade from Indy that he thinks will give him the help he's been looking for.

"I'm thrilled," George said. "All I was asking for was a little help in Indy. Now I'm getting a lot of help in Oklahoma."