Wow! What a shocker that went down in the wee hours earlier today. Not only did the Clippers add Kawhi Leonard, but now they’ve traded for multiple time all-star Paul George. This a chance for two of the best in the game to team up, and also two Californians an opportunity to come home. This ground breaking trade changes the course of the NBA, and affects both sides a great deal going forward. Below I will take a deep dive into the trade for the parties involved, and also speculate what this might mean for the future.

The Trade Details:
Thunder Receive: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danillo Gallinari, four unprotected first round picks, one protected first round pick, and right to swap picks with Clippers in 2023 or 2025.

Clippers Receive: Paul George

Trade Partners Reaction/Analysis
Oklahoma City Thunder
Grade: B+
Obviously, the Thunder were not confident in their ability to win a championship with their current core. Presti is no stranger to pulling the plug quickly. For example, he traded James Harden instead of extending him right after a trip to the NBA finals! There are also rumors that a rift had grown between Russell and George which is speculation at best. The Thunder showed with this move they are about to overhaul and rebuild. They have tried to stay aggressive and compete, but have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs three straight years. The West just got a whole lot better as well with these stunning offseason moves. The Thunder in this trade pick up Gilgeous-Alexander who showed flashes of greatness in the postseason. Shai is a massive point guard at 6’6, a superb athlete, and multi-dimensional defender. He has real potential to be a future NBA all-defense member. The questions will be where is he going to play if Westbrook sticks around? They play the same position, and neither shoots well enough to be an off ball shooting guard. The other member added in this trade is Danilo Gallinari. I like this pickup for the Thunder as Gallinari gives them a second scoring option who can light it up from three. Danilo has also improved his overall game, and can play the small or power forward position. The real prize in this trade is the insane amount of draft picks. The Thunder will basically own the Clippers future, and will reap the benefits if the Clippers fall apart or do not meet expectations. They also receive a couple of picks that were originally the Heat’s. They can also use their pick swaps in 2023 and 2025 if necessary. Finally, if the Thunder are still interested in staying competitive, they can use those picks to trade for someone like Bradley Beal, Kevin Love, or someone else on the market.

Russell Westbrook: Poor Westbrook just cannot seem to find a long term co-star. Durant left via free agency, Harden was traded, and now George was traded. The long time face of the franchise could also be on the move. If the Thunder decide to enter full rebuild mode you would think Russ’s days are numbered. There are a couple of teams who could use a walking triple double, such as the Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Timberwolves. If the Thunder keep him, it will likely lead to the return of MVP Westbrook putting up massive numbers with no other co-star to defer to.

Los Angeles Clippers:
Grade: B
The Clippers have decided to go all in and chase after the Larry O’Brien trophy. They sacrificed their future in the pursuit of gold, and to ultimately land Kawhi Leonard. Apparently, Leonard and George met at some point this week discussing the possibility of playing together. Turns out George was the missing piece to getting Kawhi to LA. The Clippers instantly become one of the favorites to win the championship next season. They will have a deadly lineup in terms of defense putting four defensive stoppers on the floor. Patrick Beverley, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Motrezl Harrell are all good to great defenders. The Clippers offense only improves as well with two of the best scorers in the NBA. To think this team gave the Warriors a fight without a legit superstar to turn to. You have to think the potential is endless for the Clippers going forward. Only time will tell if they will regret giving up so much to get one player. George and Leonard have to win a championship or this trade was a waste of the Clippers future.

Other Parties Affected

Toronto Raptors: Had this trade not gone down to woo Leonard to the Clippers he probably would’ve been a Raptor. The Raptors simply have to move on and accept the fallout from an arranged marriage. They knew Kawhi wanted to go to LA, and understood the risk from day one. That risk paid off with their first and only championship. The Raptors should be grateful for Leonard being professional and giving his all to that franchise. Without him it is unlikely that the Raptors would have even made the NBA finals much less win it. The Raptors will now have to build around young players like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet. Who knows, maybe they can trade for Demar Derozan if the Spurs rebuild. The return of Mr. Toronto could possibly happen down the road.

Los Angeles Lakers: Similar to the Knicks getting bested by the Nets in free agency, the Lakers clearly lost to so called little brother. All premier players are supposed to go to the Lakers, but Leonard and George are going the Clippers. This is a sign that free agents/trade targets are not caught up in the mystique of playing for the Lakers. The Clippers just became the favorite in the west, while the Lakers in my opinion took a step back. The recovered quickly, adding Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Javale McGee. However, these guys are nowhere near the level of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George. The Clippers upstaged the trade for Anthony Davis with these moves.

Final Thoughts
This trade certainly shook up the NBA world and the overall landscape of next year. I think short term the Clippers win this deal. They get two perennial all-stars, and in Leonard a multiple time NBA Finals MVP to lead their franchise. However, they gave up a major chunk of their future to do this. How will this trade look when those picks start to take shape? Both Leonard and George will not only be in their mid 30’s, but also possibly hitting the open market again. This was a risky but necessary gamble by the Clippers to try and win a championship. More times than not, when Jerry West makes a move good things happen. Long term, I like this deal for the Thunder to be honest. They set themselves up nicely in the draft for years to come. They also have improved their ability to make massive trades with all these pieces. Gallinari isn’t a long term solution, but Gilegous-Alexander could be their future franchise player. He is very young and has so much raw talent to build off. However, if the Clippers become a dynasty, those picks could end up being of low value as they will be picking late in the draft. This move was necessary for the Thunder, they were going nowhere with their current roster. At least this move gives them a chance to rebuild the right way. Similar to how they did when they first moved to Oklahoma City.

Photo Credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/sports/basketball/kawhi-leonard-paul-george-clippers.html