Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported today that the Boston Celtics are wanting to get a commitment from Gordon Hayward once free agency starts on July 1 and then acquire Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.

Woj’s league sources tell him that the Celtics have a strong belief that they’ll be able to re-sign George to an extension and that is making them more likely to part with a significant package of players and picks.

The Pacers believe the Celtics could potentially offer the best package, but Woj says they may not want to wait until free agency to make a deal for George.

The Celtics have young players like Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Jae Crowder as well as a plethora of potential high draft picks in their arsenal to create a suitable package for George.

If Celtics GM Danny Ainge is willing to give up some of these prized assets, Kevin Pritchard won’t find a better deal for George, but Ainge has been notoriously reluctant to part with very much in recent years in potential deals.

Woj also reports that the Celtics backup plan is to try and sign Blake Griffin to pair with George.

Meanwhile, George has apparently already tried to recruit Klay Thompson to play with him in Los Angeles.