Report: Rockets trying to acquire Paul George

The Houston Rockets remain in the hunt to acquire Paul George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein.

The report came on the same day rumors emerged that the Rockets are a serious player in the Chris Paul free-agency sweepstakes.

A legitimate rental market for George's services appears to have emerged. Most league observers believe the four-time All-Star plans to head for his hometown of Los Angeles as a free agent next summer, but there looks to be a handful of teams willing to risk trading for him now. On Tuesday, a separate report stated the Boston Celtics are in the mix, believing he'd be amenable to signing with them long term.

The Rockets are usually a player when it comes to big names on the market, and general manager Daryl Morey said this month his team needs to "up our risk profile" to compete with the Golden State Warriors.

Houston has reportedly put players like Lou Williams and Ryan Anderson on the trading block in an attempt to clear cap space this summer.