The Oklahoma City Thunder already had a case for winning the Paul George trade the moment the 2019 deal with the Clippers was finalized. They landed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, and two first-round pick swaps. That kind of haul was enormous then, and it only looks cleaner now.
On Wednesday, the trade somehow got another layer of shine.
After nearly a year - 364 days, to be exact - since the NBA opened an investigation into allegations that the Clippers skirted the salary cap through Kawhi Leonard’s Aspiration endorsement deal, the league announced that Los Angeles was found guilty. The punishment package is significant, but the biggest hit is the one that lands on the draft board: five first-round picks, in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033.
That’s a brutal addition to a story that already tilted heavily toward Oklahoma City.
Leonard wanted George beside him in Los Angeles seven years ago, and the Clippers paid the price to make that happen. They gave up what they believed was the necessary future cost to chase a title, but the Thunder are the ones who ended up with the championship out of it. And if that weren’t enough, the Clippers later lost George for nothing a couple of summers ago when he left in free agency for the Sixers.
It’s a staggering chain of events. The Clippers surrendered five unprotected picks for George because of Kawhi, then lost five more first-round picks because of the salary-cap case, and then watched George walk away anyway.
For Oklahoma City, the return keeps looking better by the year. Even if the Clippers had only handed over Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder would have come out ahead.
If the only piece in the deal had been the 2022 pick that became Jalen Williams, they still would have won. Instead, they got both, plus the rest of the draft capital that came with the trade.
Los Angeles made the move in 2019 with the idea that it would lead to the first title in franchise history. Instead, the Clippers reached the conference finals only once, in 2021. The cost was massive, the payoff never fully arrived, and the Thunder are still cashing in years later.
In Other News...
Thunder Just Created A Frontcourt Problem Fans Wont Love
The Thunder added two first-round picks to a frontcourt that was already crowded, and that is usually a good problem until the minutes start getting mapped out. With Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren already established, there is only so much room for young big men to crack the rotation, even for prospects the organization clearly wanted to bring along.
Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz now enter a situation where development and immediate opportunity do not line up neatly. One of them is going to have a tougher path to steady playing time, and by the end of the season the coaching staff and front office could be forced into a decision they would rather avoid if both rookies deserve more runway than the rotation can offer. [Read more 🡒]
Shai May Be Chasing His Most Dangerous Version Yet
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already put himself in rare air as one of the leagues most efficient and difficult scorers, but the next layer of his game could be the one that makes him even tougher to handle. He has come close to the 50-40-90 benchmark over a full season, and the way he continues to expand his offense has only added to the feeling that there is still another gear available for Oklahoma Citys centerpiece.
Part of that growth has come away from the Thunder, where he spent time sharpening the details of his off-ball offense with Team Canada. For a player who already bends defenses as much as anyone, becoming more effective without the ball could make his scoring even cleaner and more sustainable, and it is the kind of development that keeps the door open to one day joining the 50-40-90 club. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Just Became A Much Tougher Thunder Contract Call
Amen Thompsons new five-year deal in Houston added another layer to the Thunders coming payroll puzzle, because Cason Wallace now has a fresh market reference sitting right next door in the same conference. Wallace has carved out a similar kind of value for Oklahoma City with his two-way impact, and that makes his contract situation one of the more interesting items on a front office already juggling future spending.
The timing only sharpens the issue for the Thunder, who are already looking at a heavy payroll picture in the years ahead and have to keep balancing present contention with long-term flexibility. Wallace can become eligible for a bigger payday through an extension or, later on, through free agency, and even before any of that gets truly urgent, his next contractual step is going to force Oklahoma City to make a difficult call about how much premium it wants to pay to keep its young core intact. [Read more 🡒]