How the Paul George, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade looks now for Clippers, Thunder
Five seasons after being traded for each other, All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (left) and Paul George continue to be linked.
The trade that rocked the NBA in the summer of 2019 primarily because it rattled the LA Clippers, was the one that caused a stir.
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 once a promising talent and not quite the star scorer he is today. Over time, he made a significant impact on the Thunder, and at only 25, he is 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 have yet to fully utilize all the picks, and even if they don’t pan out, a straight swap of George for Gilgeous-Alexander seems advantageous for OKC. However, if the Clippers, with George and Leonard, secure a championship during their tenure together, then surely it would be deemed worthwhile, wouldn’t it?
The trade, revisited five seasons later
Clippers received:
- F Paul George
Thunder received:
- G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- F Danilo Gallinari
- The Miami Heat’s unprotected first-round pick in 2021 (Tre Mann, selected at No. 18)
- The Clippers’ unprotected first-round pick of 2022, which was used to select Jalen Williams at No. 12.
- Swap of first-round rights with Clippers in 2023 (not conveyed)
- Clippers’ 2024 unprotected first-rounder
- The Heat’s first-round pick in 2025 is protected for selections 1-14, but is 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.
Naturally, the situation is more complex than it appears. Injuries during the regular season and postseason have prevented George and Leonard from being in their top form. In their initial four seasons, including playoffs, they played 142 games together and managed a record of 96-46.
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.
The time these two stars have spent on the court together has mostly been free of issues. The only exception was when they were on the verge of being defeated by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020 bubble playoffs. Their styles and gameplay generally align well, and they complement each other effectively.
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 transitioned from being a starter to sitting on the bench. After accommodating Leonard and George too much, Harden eased up and discovered his groove and role. The advice from Leonard and George to him was: Just be yourself.
Consequently, the Clippers are trending up and are among the top six in the West.
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.
In terms of the positions and roles they play, Gilgeous-Alexander is akin to De’Aaron Fox while Chet Holmgren is comparable to Domantas Sabonis. This was exactly the scenario the Thunder had anticipated, and it has the rest of the league on high alert.
Returning to the topic of Gilgeous-Alexander, there’s no doubt that his offensive capabilities are impressive. He’s consistently performing well from the mid-range and the free throw line, which make up for his 34.6% career shooting from beyond the arc. Additionally, he’s on course to average over 30 points for two consecutive seasons (he’s averaging 30.7 points per game this season, following a 31.4 average last season).
George never managed to average 30 points per game in any season of his career, reaching a peak of 28 in his last 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?
Do you think that Sam Presti, the team president, has choices? He could stick with the current team core and wait to see the outcome next spring. This assumes, naturally, that the Thunder will reach the playoffs and dodge any major collapse or injury.
Alternatively, he could offer package deals to multiple teams at the February trade deadline, in exchange for an established player — this could be a dissatisfied veteran or a player whose contract is not desired by his current team.
The Clippers are close to settling their debt. Unprotected first-round players are expected from LA next summer and in 2026, but they don’t seem to be headed for the lottery. The same goes 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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