All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (left) and Paul George remain linked 5 seasons after they were dealt for each other.
It was the trade that shook the NBA in the summer of 2019, mainly because, at the time, it shook the LA Clippers.
It was Paul George going to LA, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and five first-round picks plus two swaps going to Oklahoma City.
To add context, George went to the Clippers at the request of Kawhi Leonard, a free agent fresh off the 2019 championship with the Toronto Raptors who held massive market leverage. Leonard essentially told the Clippers to get George — he finished third in Kia MVP voting in 2018-19 — or watch me sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gilgeous-Alexander was then a promising talent, but hardly the bucket-getting star he is now. Gradually, he shook the Thunder, and he’s just 25, eight years younger than George.
As the Clippers visit the Thunder on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass), we swing back and examine the deal. As for determining who won … well, definitely OKC for now, although that could change.
The Thunder still haven’t cashed in all those picks, and even if those picks fizzle, George straight up for Gilgeous-Alexander seems in OKC’s favor. But if the Clippers with George and Leonard win a title in their time together, then that’s well worth it, right?
The trade, revisited five seasons later
Clippers received:
- F Paul George
Thunder received:
- G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- F Danilo Gallinari
- Miami Heat’s 2021 unprotected first-rounder (Tre Mann taken at No. 18)
- Clippers’ 2022 unprotected first-rounder (Jalen Williams taken at No. 12)
- Right to 2023 first-round swap with Clippers (not conveyed)
- Clippers’ 2024 unprotected first-rounder
- Heat’s 2025 protected first-rounder for 1-14 (unprotected for 2026)
- Right to 2025 first-round swap with Clippers
- Clippers’ 2026 unprotected first-rounder
Essentially, the Thunder received — so far — two starters in the trade: Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, who are the team’s top two scorers. Both average a combined 47.8 points per game this season.
Where the Clippers stand
As they continue to justify the trade, the Clippers remain among the league’s better if unpredictable teams. They’ve reversed their direction since adding James Harden last month following a rocky start.
Since the trade: The bottom line is the bottom line, and the Clippers have one Western Conference Finals appearance to show for the trade. From a practical standpoint, this is disappointing. The whole idea behind the trade was to win a title, certainly by now.
But of course, it’s deeper than that. George and Leonard haven’t been whole because of injuries in the regular season and postseason. They played 142 games together in their first four seasons, including playoffs, with a 96-46 record.
The 2020-21 season was their best hope, but Leonard suffered a knee injury in Game 4 of the West semifinals and missed the rest of the playoffs and the entire next season. The Clippers eventually lost to Phoenix in the 2021 West finals.
This season: Leonard hasn’t missed a game and George has missed only one. That’s a blessing.
Their time on the court together has never been an issue, except when they were nearly dropped by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2020 bubble playoffs. These two stars are aligned — for the most part — and their styles mesh and complement each other well.
And it shows so far in 2023-24. Leonard is averaging 29.3 ppg on 62.3% shooting this month. George has been inconsistent offensively, but solid as usual with his perimeter defense.
What’s next?: But it gets better. The trade for Harden is starting to pay off. There was a sense of uneasiness when Harden came aboard and suddenly, the Clippers had to find a way to mesh his skills with Leonard and George and figure out what to do with Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook went from starter to the bench. After yielding too much to Leonard and George, Harden relaxed and found his role and rhythm. The message from Leonard and George: Be yourself.
As a result, the Clippers are among the top six in the West and trending up.
Where the Thunder stand
All is well in OKC, where the Thunder are sitting pretty at second place in the West and making serious noise about staying there. One obvious reason is Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s following up an All-NBA First Team run in 2022-23 with one that’s just as good if not better.
Since the trade: The Thunder began a deep rebuild after parting with Russell Westbrook and George in 2019, a superb tandem that revived basketball in OKC until Damian Lillard waved them goodbye in the first round of the 2019 playoffs. Both were traded less than one week apart that July for a suitcase of picks.
This season: The Thunder are strikingly similar to last season’s Sacramento Kings. If you recall, the Kings finally realized their youth movement and it vaulted them to a No. 3 finish in the West, rousting their fan base.
Gilgeous-Alexander is De’Aaron Fox and Chet Holmgren is Domantas Sabonis, in a sense of the positions and roles they play. This is precisely what the Thunder hoped would happen, and the rest of the league is on alert.
But, back to Gilgeous-Alexander. His offensive star power remains unquestioned. He’s doing his damage from the mid-range and by getting to the free throw line, both of which compensate for 34.6% career shooting from deep. Plus, he’s on track for back-to-back seasons averaging 30-plus points (30.7 ppg. this season after 31.4 last season).
George never averaged 30 ppg in any season of his career, topping out at 28 in his final season with OKC.
What’s next?: You can argue that OKC is in better all-around shape than most teams in the NBA. The Thunder have a star in Gilgeous-Alexander, a young core, a team that’s contending now, a low payroll and a stash of future Draft capital. How many teams are checking all those boxes?
Team president Sam Presti has options, you think? He can stay the course with the current core and see what happens next spring, with the assumption that, of course, the Thunder make the playoffs and avoid any collapse or major injury.
Or he can throw package deals at several teams at the February trade deadline and fetch a proven player — such as a disgruntled veteran or a player whose contract is unwanted by his current team.
The Clippers’ debt is almost up, however. Unprotected first-rounders are coming from LA next summer and 2026, although those don’t appear to be lottery-bound. Same for the swap in 2025.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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