There's no reason to spend too much time on "almost". The Pacers "almost" had Patrick Ewing in the 1985 Lottery. The Pacers "almost" beat Jordan's Bulls in 1998. You can add this latest report to the "almost" pile:
What's interesting about this is it shows that Kevin Pritchard was telling the truth when he said Indiana wasn't necessarily looking for young players/picks - in exchange for George - for a full rebuild. Thompson, like PG, is 27 years old and a franchise-type player. Landing him would've certainly helped the Pacers stay in win-now mode, but you can't blame Golden State for hanging on to a player who is such a key part of their recent dominance.