Pacers, Thunder Both Built Finals Teams Off Trading Paul George

NBA title competitors often have fun factoids that tie them together. 

For example, journeyman Patrick McCaw was on the Warriors when they defeated the Cavaliers in 2017, then played for Cleveland when the two teams battled again in 2018, and then played for the Raptors when they beat Golden State in 2019.

However, there is rarely a link as high-profile as the one between the Thunder and Pacers in this year’s NBA Finals. Both teams acquired significant parts of their core, including their respective best players, by trading away nine-time All-Star Paul George.

Indiana’s Indirect Build

George started his career with the Pacers after being selected No. 10 in the 2010 draft. He played seven years in Indiana, making four All-Star Games and three All-NBA teams while leading the team to back-to-back conference finals appearances for the first time since the ’90s. 

In 2017, Indiana traded George to Oklahoma City.

• Thunder acquire: Paul George
• Pacers acquire: Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis

The two new Pacers exceeded expectations by making two All-Star Games, but the team was forced to move on after Oladipo suffered a career-altering knee injury in 2019.

The Pacers traded Sabonis to the Kings for Tyrese Haliburton in February 2022. A year later, Haliburton signed a five-year, $244.6 million contract, solidifying his place as the team’s centerpiece. Last year, he led the Pacers to their first conference finals since the George-led team in 2014. He lifted them to the Finals this year, a place Indiana has not been since 2000. 

Andrew Nembhard, Haliburton’s backcourt sidekick, was also indirectly acquired through George. Oladipo was traded to the Rockets in 2021 for Caris LeVert, who was then traded to the Cavaliers in 2022. The Pacers acquired several picks from the Cavaliers, including the second-round pick they used to select Nembhard at No. 31 that summer.

Thunder Saw the Future

The Thunder’s build has a more direct link to George. The team acquired 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by trading George to the Clippers in 2019.

• Clippers acquire: Paul George
• Thunder acquire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and two first-round picks swaps

At the time, the Clippers’ move felt justifiable as Gilgeous-Alexander, who had played one year for Los Angeles after being selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2018 draft, was not projected to be an MVP-caliber player. Trading for George, who finished third in MVP voting in his second and final year in Oklahoma City, also convinced Kawhi Leonard to sign with the Clippers, establishing a championship contender to follow the Lob City era.

The Leonard-George era in L.A. would last five seasons, with their best finish being a conference finals appearance in Year 2 (2020–21). Last summer, in free agency, George left L.A. in free agency for a four-year, $212 million contract with Philadelphia.

Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t the only key player the Thunder received in that 2019 trade. Oklahoma City used the Clippers’ 2022 first-round pick to select Jalen Williams at No. 12. Williams was named an All-Star this year and is arguably the Thunder’s second-best player.