Dan Gilbert Took A Shot At Pacers Return In Paul George Trade During Weird Press Conference

Dan Gilbert is a wildly unlikable NBA owner who is in the middle of sabotaging the golden age of his franchise. The Cleveland Cavaliers owner’s behavior got even weirder on Wednesday when he mocked the return the Indiana Pacers got in exchange for trading Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

During the press conference to introduce new Cavs general manager Koby Altman, a reporter asked about rumors claiming Cleveland nearly acquired George. Altman attempted to avoid answering the question, but Gilbert jumped right on it:

" Cavs owner Dan Gilbert on Paul George trade: “I will say [the Pacers] could’ve done better.” pic.twitter.com/mlTmBj7cJ8 — Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) July 26, 2017 "

Altman couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of Gilbert’s answer. Remember, Gilbert and the Cavs were reportedly close to landing George as part of a three-team deal that would have also involved the Denver Nuggets. At the last minute things apparently fell apart, but there are conflicting stories as to how close that deal actually got to being done.

Cavs insider Brian Windhorst was shocked by Gilbert’s shot at the Pacers and said the following on ESPN afterwards:

"“I’m going to be honest with you, the thing that happened in this press conference that made my eyes go open the most was Dan Gilbert taking a shot at the Indiana Pacers for what they got for Paul George, saying openly, he thinks they could have done better. That was a pretty shocking moment, that’s not something you’re going to see at too many press conferences.”"

We can debate the value the Pacers extracted from the George trade all day, but Gilbert taking a public shot at another franchise is laughable considering all the drama going on in his own house.