The 2019 Clippers-Thunder trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers will go down as one of the wildest trades in NBA history and PG-13 himself was recently asked to reflect on it.
The trade, which sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and multiple first-round picks to OKC for Paul George is talked about to this day.
After the Clippers’ 128-117 win over the Thunder, reporters asked George who won the trade in the end.
“I just think both sides won,” George told reporters. “I did think it was quite a lot that Clippers were willing to give up, but their commitment to me is my commitment to them. So just appreciative that they went out and grabbed me and brought me over here. Very appreciative of Steve [Ballmer]. But both sides won.”
At the time, Gilgeous-Alexander had just finished his rookie season, so no one at that point could predict how much he would flourish with OKC.
“Shai is, I think initially when that trade happened, no one saw — we knew Shai was going to be really, really good, but he’s special,” George said. “And so I guess in a way, Oklahoma won that trade with picks and a future MVP. So again, great trade for both sides.”
Since Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have joined forces at the Clippers, they have been unable to secure a championship, leading many to think that OKC won the trade overall.
But with the injection of James Harden this season, their chances are looking as good as ever.
After a rough 0-6 start when Harden arrived, LA have since gone 23-7 and have a 26-14 overall record so far this season.
Warriors forward Draymond Green, for one, thinks that Harden should be getting more credit for what he’s done at the team.
“I think by the way, James Harden should be an All-Star this year,” Green said. “I’m not sure how people are viewing that, but he only missed like the first four games for the Clippers and then he got traded there. He’s playing at an All-Star level, and the way their team is playing, I think James Harden is an All-Star this year, should be.”
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