After getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Indiana Pacers might be on the verge of a major rebuild.

Their star forward Paul George will be entering the final year of his current contract next season and therefore, this summer might be a good time for the organization to leverage their position and receive the most compensation possible in exchange for the All-Star.

During the regular season, George’s name was floating around in trade rumors, particularly in the conversation surrounding the Boston Celtics.

However, it’s apparently another historic franchise that PG-13 has his eyes on: the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News, George’s former Pacer teammates understand that he wants to play in L.A.

"A SoCal native, he's been talking about playing for his hometown team, the Lakers, for a long time. He's never made his long-term intentions a secret within the Pacers' locker room, according to former teammates. He wants to wear the purple and gold," Lawrence wrote.

In July, George can sign a mega-extension worth up to six-years and $223 million with the Pacers, but it remains to be seen if Indiana will decide to trade away their cornerstone in the hopes of rebuilding for a bigger and brighter future.

Committing that kind of money around one player implies that he will be the focal point of their long-term outlook.

The Lakers, on the other hand, are a young team with no true superstar.

Now that Magic Johnson has taken over the reigns, that’s exactly the type of player he will be searching for, and he recently admitted it on AM 570 LA Sports with Roggin and Rodney. "The Lakers have always had a superstar," he said. “That is what we are going to try to bring in here.”

While he can’t officially meet with George to discuss a possible trade, Magic was asked on Jimmy Kimmel Live! what he’d do if he saw the Pacers All-Star on vacation. 

"No, we gonna say 'hi' because we know each other," Johnson said. "You just can’t say, 'Hey, I want you to come to the Lakers,' even though I’ll be wink winking like, 'you know what that means right?’"

Therefore, it seems pretty obvious that there’s mutual interest.

Now, the major question becomes what the Lakers can offer from their end. A number of young players, including D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle are regarded as the core of the franchise’s future. However, players like Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. are young and are likely movable. Los Angeles also has the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft and numerous picks coming up in future drafts as well.

But, giving up any young, valuable piece would possibly derail their entire existing team-building strategy, thus sending their methodology into a state of confusion.

George averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in the regular season for the Pacers, but took his game to a whole different level in the playoffs, posting 28.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, not only opening everyone’s eyes to what an elite player he is, but also alerting every team around the league that he’s one of the best in the business.

So, while the Pacers might have lost the series and lost Game 3 in historic fashion, they might have benefitted largely from George’s stardom, as it will likely drive his asking price way up.

At this point, seeing him play his home games at Staples Center next season seems like a realistic possibility. But, Magic and company will have to give up a boatload in order for it to happen.