Paul George has been on the market for quite some time, as the Indiana Pacers All-Star made it clear to both the team and the public that he was not planning to be around for the long term. With that on the table, teams like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly been in the mix for his services but, just hours before free agency began on July 1st, word broke that George is headed elsewhere.
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Paul George has been traded to OKC, per sources
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 1, 2017
Sources: Indiana has completed trade of Paul George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2017
Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder are known for pulling off unlikely trades and this certainly fits in to that mold in a beautiful way. The Thunder are theoretically trying to impress Russell Westbrook, who is able to sign a contract extension beginning at 12:01 am ET on July 1st, and this could be the first step in the process.
Beyond that, adding a top-tier player like George should aid in bolstering the Thunder in the short-term, even with the fact that he has only one year remaining on his contract. In addition, the return package headed to Indiana is not overwhelming outside of the tidbit that Victor Oladipo starred nearby in Bloomington as a member of the Indiana Hoosiers.
Paul George seems to be headed to the Western Conference and the balance of power is shifting yet again.
