In the history of the NBA, we have seen players who are considered stars traded to teams, and usually the team trading them gets a lot back for them. In his prime, Paul George was certainly considered to be one of the top players in the league, so once he was traded, people expected his team to receive a nice package.
In today’s NBA, George is not viewed in the same light as he was ten years ago. Age and injuries have caught up to him, forcing George to miss a lot of action. Since the 2019-20 season, George has averaged only about 49 games played per season. Only once did he play more than 60 games in a season during that stretch.
Still, every time George gets traded, he brings back a massive haul for his former team. This was what happened this offseason when the Philadelphia 76ers traded him to the Boston Celtics in exchange for the 2024 Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown.
Paul George Trade Details
During his 16-year career, George has been traded three times, and every deal dramatically reshaped the future of the team that sent him away. Whether it was landing future All-Stars, MVP candidates, or a mountain of draft picks, each organization maximized his value.
Here is a look at how every Paul George trade became one of the biggest hauls in modern NBA history.
2017: Indiana Pacers Trade Paul George To Oklahoma City Thunder
Pacers Received: Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis
Thunder Received: Paul George
The first trade of George’s career occurred in 2017 when the Indiana Pacers traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder after seven seasons with the Pacers. While in Indiana, George rose to star status, as he led the Pacers to the postseason six times while winning the 2012-13 Most Improved Player award.
The Pacers decided to trade George after he informed them that he planned to leave in free agency the following summer. Rather than lose him for nothing, Indiana made the deal with Oklahoma City.
In the deal, the Pacers received Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Years later, Indiana would use Sabonis as a key piece in a trade with the Sacramento Kings that brought their current franchise star, Tyrese Haliburton.
During his time in Indiana, George averaged 18.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
2019: Oklahoma City Turns George Into One Of The Greatest Trade Packages Ever
Clippers Received: Paul George
Thunder Received: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari
No. 18 pick in 2021 – Tre Mann
No. 12 pick in 2022 – Jalen Williams
No. 10 pick in 2023 – Cason Wallace
No. 12 pick in 2024 – Nikola Topić
No. 15 pick in 2025 – Thomas Sorber
No. 12 pick in 2026 – Aday Mara
Many people believed the Oklahoma City Thunder with George and Russell Westbrook together could turn into a powerhouse team that would contend for an NBA title year after year. Instead, the Thunder traded George away after just two seasons.
George played extremely well for the Thunder, averaging 25.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He helped lead the Thunder to the playoffs in both of his seasons.
That did not matter, however, and it was thanks to Kawhi Leonard. After winning the 2019 NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors, Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers and reportedly made acquiring George a condition of his signing there.
George, who was friends with Leonard, requested a trade from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles to play alongside Leonard. This led to the Clippers offering the Thunder an unprecedented trade package.
The Clippers sent four unprotected first-rounders (2021, 2022, 2024, 2026), a protected first-rounder (Miami’s 2023), and two first-round pick swaps (2023 and 2025) to the Thunder. On top of the picks, they sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari to Oklahoma City.
At the time, ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski said that the Thunder received a “record-setting collection of draft choices.”
He was not kidding. And the fact that Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into a two-time MVP and helped lead the Thunder to an NBA title, I would say the Thunder won that trade.
This is not all that came from the trade. One of the draft picks the Thunder received led to OKC drafting Jalen Williams (12th overall in 2022), who has become a key player next to SGA.
After the trade initially occurred, Thunder GM Sam Presti made this statement:
“From the time that Paul and his representation made us aware of what had been transpiring and their subsequent request, our focus as an organization was identifying the best paths for our future,” Presti said.
“Resiliency has been a staple of our city and our franchise, and this challenge provided us with another opportunity to demonstrate that. Our goal with this transaction was to create value both in the short and long term and help reposition and replenish the organization’s future platform. We are thrilled to welcome two extremely talented and efficient players in Shai and Danilo. Moving forward, we will continue to utilize the method that has helped us create the foundation for the last 11 seasons of Thunder basketball.
“The Thunder thanks Paul for his contributions to the organization and our community. We are proud that Paul is a part of our history as an organization and that some of the best basketball of his career was in Oklahoma City. He should be remembered fondly; we wish him and his family the best.”
The Thunder certainly made the best path for their future. Many around the league now view the George trade as the foundation of Oklahoma City’s rise to the top of the NBA elite.
George’s Clippers Disappointments
As a member of the Clippers, George started to see his career change. This was where the injury bug really started to hit, which affected his play and his team’s success.
The Clippers were initially looked at as a team that could win a championship with George and Leonard. Yet, in five years in Los Angeles, the Clippers failed to reach the postseason twice.
George did help lead the Clippers further in the playoffs (Western Conference Finals in 2021) than the franchise had ever gone. Still, the Clippers were predicted as title favorites (2019-20), and that never occurred.
In five seasons with the Clippers, George averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
2026: Philadelphia 76ers Trade For Jaylen Brown
76ers Received: Jaylen Brown
Celtics Received: Paul George
2028 first-round pick – Converts to the more favorable pick swap for Boston
2031 first-round pick – Unprotected (via Philadelphia)
2028 second-round pick – Best of Golden State / Oklahoma City / Milwaukee
2030 second-round pick – Best of Washington / Portland / Phoenix
George signed as a free agent in 2024 with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his time with the Clippers. Over two seasons in Philadelphia, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
He was now traded again, this time to the Celtics, and the fact that Boston gave up Brown has fans scratching their heads. Boston did pull in four future draft picks, including two first round picks. This will help build the Celtics roster for the future, giving them the chance to stay competitive for a long time.
As for the present day in Boston, two questions remain: Will George fit well next to Jayson Tatum? And can he help lead the Celtics back to the NBA Finals?
Or will the injury bug continue to plague George’s career, turning another trade into a disappointment for the receiving team, while the franchise that trades him walks away as the winners?
Who Paul George Has Been Traded For So Far?
In total, here is everything the teams that traded George has gotten in return:
– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
– Jaylen Brown
– Domantas Sabonis
– Victor Oladipo
– Danilo Gallinari
– 8 First-Round Picks
(Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topić, Thomas Sorber, Aday Mara, 2028 first-round pick converting to a pick swap for Boston, 2031 first-round pick)
– 2 Second-Round Picks
(2028 second-round pick – Best of Golden State / Oklahoma City / Milwaukee
2030 second-round pick – Best of Washington / Portland / Phoenix)
George may truly be the most valuable player in NBA history, since he has given teams so much in return by being traded. Without George, the Thunder do not become NBA champions in 2025. Now, if the 76ers win a title after adding Brown, they will have to thank George as well.
Also, if the Celtics draft a future star with the picks received in the George trade, they will also have to tip their hats to the former Most Improved Player winner. As for George himself, he’d like to add a championship to his resume.
This is something that he could possibly achieve if he can stay healthy in Boston.
