Could Myles Garrett be the next Paul George? According to Albret Breer of Sports Illustrated, there are some who think so. In his recent article for the website, Breer revealed that Browns GM Andrew Berry was in touch with Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti as Berry was in talks to trade the two-time Defensive Player of the Year. The two GM's talked about what Berry should expect back in a trade. Presit, apparently, approved of the decision to try and land a young player back in any deal, citing one of his own past deals that valued a young prospect as much as the picks they received back.
Breer wrote in a recent Sports Illustrated article that Presit "affirmed" Berry's to move on from Garrett for picks and a young player. That's what the Browns got back: three draft picks (a first in 2027, a second in 2028 and a third in 2029) as well as former Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Verse.
It was a trade that Presit apparently saw similarities to one that he made a while back.
In 2019, Presit's Oklahoma City Thunder sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for a return that included the Clippers' first-round draft picks for 2022, 2024, and 2026, as well as the Miami Heat's first-round draft picks for 2021 and 2025. Not to mention the Clippers and Thunder swapped picks in 2023 and 2025 as well. The 2023 pick swap did not convey, giving the Thunder a whopping six picks from this deal.
That wasn't all the Clippers gave up, as they sent the Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Danilo Gallinari. While the draft picks have helped the Thunder build their roster, it was the acquisition of Gilgeous-Alexander that has been the catalyst for the Thunder's recent championship success.
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Does that mean that Garrett is the George of this trade? They're similar in age (George was 29, Garrett is 30), they're both going to the same major metropolis, and they're both bringing heaps of expectations to a roster that isn't known for its youth at keep spots.
Still, we have to be honest about the George trade. After the trade to LA, he wasn't some scrub who couldn't tie his shoes. He was named an All-Star three more times and helped the team get to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He even had one of the best singular playoff runs in recent memory, dragging a banged-up Clippers team to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, practically by himself. If Garrett is the George of this trade, then that isn't some insult. George was two wins away from taking an awful Clippers roster to the NBA Finals.
If Garrett does something similar, Rams fans will be happy with the outcome of this trade.
It's impossible to say how this trade will shake out until years down the road. While Presit and Berry may seem similar to past trades, it's impossible to really compare the Garrett to LA trade to any trade, let alone the George to LA trade. At least for the foreseeable future.
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