Paul George Says He'd Love To Play With LeBron, And He Loves L.A.

It's time for TMZ SPORTS DECODES ... starring NBA superstar Paul George, who might've just given the basketball world a huge clue about his future and the future of Mr. LeBron James.

Or did he?

First a little context ... rumors in NBA circles say LeBron joining the Lakers depends on him luring another big name star to Hollywood, and most people think George -- an L.A. native -- is that star.

In order for that to happen, George would have to want to play with LeBron and, when we got him at the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am in L.A. and asked him ... he seemed like he was down.

"Yeah, I'm with LeBron every All-Star. Every one of my All-Stars I've been teamed with LeBron ... I like playing with him."

We continued decoding as we asked George if he even likes Los Angeles ... and once again, he gave us more positive feedback than an eastern Tinder swipe.

"I'm from L.A., I can say I love L.A. because I'm from L.A."

What do you get when you love both playing with LeBron and L.A.? Seems like Purple & Gold.