The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to be the Western Conference representatives in the NBA Finals, with either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks meeting them from the other side. While the Thunder have made plenty of right moves along the way, they can thank Sam Presti and the Paul George trade package for getting them to where they are today.
Following the best season of his career in 2018-19 as a member of the Thunder, the team decided to pull the trigger on a deal that sent him to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a plethora of assets. From that trade, they were able to land Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, the team’s top two players.
In a clip that has since gone viral, fans are looking back on the reactions from the media regarding the trade. Despite it being seen as a fleece now, the Clippers were being painted as winners at the time, given the move helped them land Kawhi Leonard as well. Here’s how some fans reacted to the post:
“Take away injuries and the clippers would have at least 1 chip.. idc what anyone says,” one fan stated.
“Clippers had their shot before the Pandemic and Vs the Suns in WCF, unfortunately Kawhi was hurt. PG tried,” another fan added.
“Injuries derailed the Clips. Had they won the chip then it would have been worth it,” a user commented.
“Kawhi was the defending champion and they [don’t] get him without Paul George. I get why everyone said this,” a fan shared.
As can be seen by the reactions, many fans came to the defense that circumstances made this trade workout far worse for the Clippers. Had the team been able to have George and Leonard healthy more consistently, an NBA Finals very well could’ve been in their cards.
However, the reality is that the Thunder turned Gilgeous-Alexander into one of the league’s best players, while the Clippers’ core continues to get older as their window closes.
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