How the Paul George, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade looks now for Clippers, Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (left) and Paul George, both All-Stars, continue to be connected five seasons after their trade for each other.
The LA Clippers were primarily shaken in the summer of 2019 by a trade, which also rattled the NBA.
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 budding talent, but not the scoring powerhouse he is today. Over time, he made his mark on the Thunder, and at just 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 utilize all their picks, and even if these picks don’t pan out, trading George for Gilgeous-Alexander appears to be beneficial for OKC. However, if the Clippers win a championship with both George and Leonard, then the trade would be justified, 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, who was chosen at No. 18)
- The unprotected 2022 first-round pick of the Clippers (Jalen Williams selected at No. 12)
- Right to swap first-round pick with Clippers in 2023 (not conveyed)
- Clippers’ 2024 unprotected first-rounder
- The 2025 first-round pick of the Heat is protected for selections 1-14, but it will be unprotected in 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.
However, there’s more to it than that. Due to injuries in both the regular season and the playoffs, George and Leonard have not been at their full potential. In their first four seasons together, including playoffs, they participated in 142 games and achieved 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.
The time these two stars spend together on the court has never presented a problem, with the exception of a near defeat at the hands of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020 bubble playoffs. For the most part, they are perfectly in sync and their styles of play blend and enhance 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 a bench player. After conceding too much to Leonard and George, Harden took a step back, found his groove, and settled into his role. The advice from Leonard and George was clear: Be true to yourself.
Consequently, the Clippers are trending upwards 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 their positions and roles, Gilgeous-Alexander is akin to De’Aaron Fox, and Chet Holmgren to Domantas Sabonis. This is exactly the scenario the Thunder was aspiring for, putting the rest of the league on notice.
However, returning to the topic of Gilgeous-Alexander, his offensive prowess is undisputed. He is causing havoc from the mid-range and by earning free throws, both of which make up for his career 34.6% shooting from the three-point line. In addition, he is on course to average over 30 points for two consecutive seasons (30.7 points per game this season, following 31.4 last season).
In none of George’s career seasons did he average 30 ppg, with his highest average being 28 ppg 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 Sam Presti, the team president, has choices? He has the option to stick with the current team and wait to see the outcome next spring. Naturally, this is under the assumption that the Thunder will make it to the playoffs without any significant injuries or failures.
Alternatively, he could offer package deals to multiple teams at the February trade deadline and acquire a proven player – someone like a dissatisfied veteran or a player whose contract is currently unwanted by his team.
However, the Clippers’ debt is nearly settled. They are set to receive unprotected first-round picks from LA in the upcoming summer and in 2026, though these do not seem to be headed for the lottery. The same applies to 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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