The Clippers Trade Package For Paul George Includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander And Five First Rounders


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The wild NBA offseason took another crazy turn in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday (or Friday night on the West Coast) as Kawhi Leonard announced he would join the Clippers in a fairly surprising decision.

Most had expected him to stay in Toronto or join LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Lakers in recent days, but everything changed when the Clippers were able to get a second star to join him by trading for Paul George. That trade came as an unbelievable surprise, and immediately one had to wonder how massive the package heading back to Oklahoma City would be.

Shortly after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski announced the trade, he offered the details and the Thunder will get quite the haul in return. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, coming off a strong rookie season, and Danilo Gallinari are the two players headed to Oklahoma City, but they’ll also get a record four unprotected first round picks.

As reports come out about potential discontent in OKC among George and Russell Westbrook, Woj also noted it was Leonard who recruited George to L.A., pushing for him to push his way to the Clippers.

George had long been reported as wanting to go play in Los Angeles where he grew up, and last summer him signing in OKC was a rather shocking result on the opening night of free agency, as the Lakers were the massive favorites to land him. Now, he’s in L.A., a year later, and on the Clippers forming as formidable a star duo with Leonard as the Lakers have with LeBron and Davis.