Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
For the fourth time in his NBA career, Paul George didn’t make the playoffs, but both of his former teams did. Not only did the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder reach the playoffs, they’ve now clinched a ticket to the NBA Finals.
For the Pacers, it will be their first trip to the NBA Finals since the 1999-2000 season. Meanwhile, the Thunder had a chance at winning an NBA championship in 2012 under Scott Brooks.
While it’s taken a long time for both teams to return to the sport’s pinnacle, when reflecting on how each team got there, it’s not a stretch to say their trades involving George are a major reason why.
When the Pacers traded George to the Thunder in 2017, they managed to get Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Five years later, the Pacers flipped Sabonis to the Kings for a package that netted Tyrese Haliburton, who’s since become a two-time All-Star with Indiana.
Meanwhile, when the Thunder traded George in 2019, they managed to get Danilo Gallinari, Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, five other first-round picks, plus reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That has to be one of the greatest trades of all-time, for the Thunder anyway.
Now, one of George’s former teams is set to win a ring, and he’s still waiting on his first opportunity.
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