Oklahoma City Thunder make worthwhile gamble with Paul George trade
The Oklahoma City Thunder made a bold move acquiring Paul George from the Indiana Pacers and it was a worthwhile risk to take.
The 2017 NBA free agency has not even begun yet, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are already big winners.
The Paul George saga is now over, as the Thunder have agreed to acquire George from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
George is the third superstar that will be on the move in about a week’s amount of time. Jimmy Butler was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night, while Chris Paul will be heading to the Houston Rockets.
In both of those deals, at least one first round pick was in the move. The package for George — initially reported by ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne and USA TODAY‘s Sam Amick — has been confirmed by ESPN‘s Royce Young: The Pacers will be receiving no draft compensation in this deal.
Just to confirm it all: It's Paul George for Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo. No picks.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 1, 2017
The Thunder beat out a number of different teams that had rumored interest in George. The Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers were all linked to George at one point. But none of them were able to land him as Sam Presti and the Thunder stepped up and offered the Pacers a package that they accepted.
For the Thunder, this is a worthwhile gamble to take for a number of reasons, the first of which is the package itself.
Underwhelming Trade Package
The Thunder are not losing much in this deal. Trading away Oladipo and the unproven Sabonis is a small price to pay when you are acquiring a two-way All-Star talent such as George.
In addition, the Thunder protect themselves in the future in case George and or Russell Westbrook decide to leave as free agents next summer.
By not trading a draft pick, the Thunder have kept their flexibility in the future. They will have their draft selections to continue adding young talent to the roster down the road. In essence, the Thunder have traded Serge Ibaka for George and Jerami Grant (who came to OKC in exchange for Ersan Ilyasova); that is a deal any team in the NBA would make 10 times over.
The Thunder took advantage of what was seemingly an underwhelming market for George. There may have been a lot of teams involved, but the trade packages probably weren’t very strong. The potential for him to leave as a free agent was scaring teams off, according to ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst.
What OKC gave up for George (no picks) an indication of weakness of offers to Indiana. And how afraid teams are that PG will walk next year
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 1, 2017
Improved Offense
The Thunder’s offense should see a huge boost with George playing alongside Westbrook. A big problem for them last season was the offense would crater without Westbrook on the court. With George, the Thunder now have a second, legitimate go-to option.
Where PG-13 really helps out is in three-point shooting. He had a 59.9 effective shooting percentage on spot-ups, which will greatly improve the Thunder’s spacing offensively. Last season, Oklahoma City shot 32.7 percent from beyond the arc, the worst percentage in the NBA. George made 39.3 percent of his three-point attempts last season, which would have been the highest mark on the team.
More from NBA Free Agency
- 3 NBA teams who’ll be kicking themselves for not upgrading in free agency
- 4 Offseason acquisitions that could push their new NBA team over the top
- Instant Grades for the Lakers’ unprecedented Anthony Davis extension
- 4 NBA stars who demanded a trade that didn’t happen
- NBA Rumors: Chicago pursuing the best remaining free agent
Perimeter Defense
The Thunder have a potentially dominant defensive duo on the perimeter. If they are able to retain restricted free agent Andre Roberson, the Thunder will now boast arguably the best defensive wing tandem in the NBA.
Both Roberson and George are highly regarded defenders. They both have wingspans of at least seven feet, which could cause havoc for opposing offenses. If the Thunder, or any team for that matter, want to truly challenge the Golden State Warriors, they need to have multiple players that can defend the perimeter.
With Roberson and George in the fold, the Thunder now have two strong wing defenders to compete with the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.
Recap
Despite the risks involved, the Thunder made an excellent trade for George. If the Thunder are struggling, or get the feeling that George will not re-sign with them, they could try to flip George at the trade deadline for more assets. They also clear Oladipo’s contract, opening up their books if George bolts.
Oklahoma City just became a very attractive option for players in free agency as well. The types of veterans the Warriors sign on minimum deals could be interested in joining Oklahoma City now, and ESPN‘s Royce Young believes the team is not done just yet.
The Thunder cleared a few million dollars in this deal, but they will have to get creative in free agency to add more talent; they are already over the projected cap without retaining Roberson or Taj Gibson.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
The Thunder are far from a perfect team, but George makes them an interesting team to keep an eye on. They now have two superstars on their team and could be an attractive landing spot for players when free agency begins.