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NBA TRADE DEADLINE

Pacers decide to pass on offers for Paul George

Paul George (right) will be a free agent in 2018.Getty Images

The NBA trade deadline passed Thursday after speculation swirled throughout the day, with a particular focus on Pacers small forward Paul George.

But in the end, Indiana decided to hold on to the four-time All-Star. Just before the 3 p.m. deadline, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Indiana would not be trading George.

“Indiana has passed on trade offers for Paul George and All-Star forward will remain with the Pacers, league sources tell @TheVertical .” Wojnarowski tweeted.

George, 26, is in his seventh NBA season, all with the Pacers. He is averaging 22.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 50 games this season. The 6-9 small forward played two seasons of college basketball at Fresno State before being drafted 10th overall in 2010 by the Pacers.

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USA Today’s Sam Amick reported in the final hour before the trade deadline that George appears to want to play for the Lakers.

“I repeat: Paul George - barring a title chance in Indy - is hell-bent on heading for Laker Land. This message has been sent throughout NBA.” he wrote.

George will be a free agent in the summer of 2018.

Below are updates posted throughout the day Thursday.

2:50 p.m. update

From Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski:

“Indiana has passed on trade offers for Paul George and All-Star forward will remain with the Pacers, league sources tell @TheVertical.”

A few other small deals are being reported:

■  From ESPN’s Brian Windhorst: “Denver Nuggets sending heavily-protected second round pick to Milwaukee for Roy Hibbert, sources say.”

From The Vertical’s Shams Charania: “OKC sending Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow, w/ CHI sending ‘18 second-round pick with McDermott and Gibson, sources tell @TheVertical.”

2:30 p.m. update

Interesting post from USA Today’s Sam Amick on Twitter:

“I repeat: Paul George - barring a title chance in Indy - is hell-bent on heading for Laker Land. This message has been sent throughout NBA.” he wrote.

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He also tweeted a follow-up:

“These kinds of things can change, but that is the strong Paul George message being sent around the NBA regarding how he sees his situation.”

1:50 p.m. update

There’s no new trade news to report, but Isaiah Thomas has explained his mysterious emoji tweets this week – the “surprised eyes” on Monday and an hourglass Wednesday.

Adam Himmelsbach filed this report from the Celtics’ practice facility:

On Thursday afternoon, following the first Celtics’ practice since the All-Star break, Thomas smiled and threw some water on the conspiracy theories.

“I was watching a TV show, man,” Thomas said. “I don’t know what the emojis are about.”

Come on, Isaiah. Didn’t you know that Celtics fans everywhere are on edge and that they’d all read into this and just need to know more? Didn’t you know it’d blow up?

“I didn’t,” he said, smiling again. “I did it and I realized like, ‘What just happened?’ I didn’t mean to shake the internet like that. I didn’t mean to do that to you all.”

Thomas said he has just been waiting around for news just like everyone else, and that he had no inside information.

On Thursday, he tweeted an emoji of an hourglass. What did that one mean?

“Time is ticking, man,” Thomas said.

1 p.m. update

Andrew Bogut, who was part of the 76ers-Mavericks trade earlier Thursday, could become a free agent.

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“Barring unlikely landing spot by 3 PM ET, Andrew Bogut, 76ers beginning to engage on buyout talks. Bogut wants to be free agent,” reported The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

That would make Bogut someone for the Celtics to consider. The Globe’s Gary Washburn reported that the Celtics had some interest.

“There have been discussions about Andrew Bogut, who appears close to healthy and could give 20 quality minutes a game as a potential starting center. The question is whether Bogut would be more productive than Amir Johnson, who has been the starter and a solid defender,” Washburn wrote.

12:40 p.m. update

It’s all present and accounted for at Celtics practice today.

From the Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach: [Celtics president] Danny Ainge and [assistant general manager] Mike Zarren were down on court when practice opened, then went upstairs to Ainge’s office.

Himmelsbach also reported via Twitter that Avery Bradley, who has been out with an Achilles’ injury, participated in about a third of the team’s practice and was unclear about his availability for Friday’s game in Toronto. Jaylen Brown, however, is ready to play vs. the Raptors.

Lunchtime update, 11:55 a.m.

Things should start to pick up over the next three hours, so you’d be wise to keep an eye on Twitter.

Specifically, it would be good to follow Adrian Wojnarowski, the creator of Yahoo! Sports’ NBA website The Vertical. He’s at @WojVerticalNBA, and generally is at the leading edge of breaking news across the NBA.

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He’s already reported one deal – the 76ers are sending Nerlens Noel to the Mavericks in exchange for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a first-round draft pick.

Noel, from Everett, Mass., was the sixth pick in the 2013 draft.

He’s also tweeted a Boston/Indiana update: “Boston hasn’t met Indiana’s asking price on Paul George, but Nets pick has entered conversation now, sources say.”

Setting the scene, 9:57 a.m.

Will they or won’t they?

That’s the question on the minds of Celtics fans Thursday as the 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline approaches.

As we wait for the definitive answer, there’s plenty to keep an eye on.

The Celtics are back at work today, with a practice session scheduled before the team travels to Toronto, where the season resumes Friday night. When the Celtics tip off against the Raptors, they will not have played since Feb. 16 – the night of the last-second loss to the Bulls on a questionable foul called on Marcus Smart.

After today’s practice, we’ll hopefully hear from Isaiah Thomas about his mysterious emoji tweet on Monday. For now we can only speculate what it meant, and Hayden Bird at Boston.com has a good look at the possibilities.

The Globe’s Gary Washburn has the latest on the Celtics’ thinking in his latest On Basketball column, with a focus on Indiana’s Paul George potentially being the team’s best chance for a blockbuster trade.

Stay tuned. We’ll have updates to this story as circumstances warrant.

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Reports and speculation

Our most recent Court Sense newsletter featured a roundup of the latest from around the web. Sign up to receive Court Sense via email here.

■  Chad Finn thinks the Celtics should stick with what they’ve got this season.

■  Christopher L. Gasper says Danny Ainge finds himself at a fork in the road today.

■   The New York Daily News’ Frank Isola wrote that one source told him Paul George “could be the sleeper” for Celtics president Danny Ainge. That jives with a Boston Herald story that the Celtics are still seeking a deal for a major talent, but George as a specific piece contrasts with what one source told the Globe’s Adam Himmselsbach, which is that George is not for sale.

■  Jimmy Butler has been linked to the Celtics, too. Himmselsbach writes that while the Celtics and Bulls have spoken about Butler in the past, it’s unclear whether those talks will heat up this week. NBA TV’s David Alrdridge said Wednesday nighthe believes Jae Crowder is the sticking point for any potential Butler deal.

■  Assuming Danny Ainge has his pick between Butler and George, some solid analysis from Paul Swydan on Boston.com on which player the Celtics should prefer.

■  As far as Andre Drummond coming to Boston, all we have to go on so far is the Thomas eyeball emoji, and subsequent eyes from Drummond. But no substance yet. Drummond appeared agitated with reporters Wednesday, saying the Twitter stuff meant nothing.

■  Jahlil Okafor is still out there, if that’s a thing that interests you. Aldridge reports he’s likely to be moved by Thursday.

■  The Celtics reportedly have ‘deep interest’in trading for P.J. Tucker.

■  Here are5 shooters the Celtics could target at the trade deadline.

■  Does Danilo Gallinarimake sense as a trade target?


Follow Matt Pepin on Twitter at @mattpep15.