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.
Sources: Oklahoma City is getting a massive package of future picks, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Galllinari, to deliver Kawhi Leonard who he wanted to partner with: Paul George. https://t.co/4bGpMNat8K
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
The Clippers are sending the Thunder four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps, league sources tell ESPN. Those picks go to OKC with Gallinari and SGA.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
OKC acquired THREE unprotected first-round picks from the Clippers in this trade (2022, 2024 and 2026), league sources say, PLUS two firsts from Miami (2021 unprotected and 2023 protected 1-to-14) … AND the right to swap picks with the Clips in 2023 and 2025. Staggering
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 6, 2019
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.
Kawhi Leonard has been recruiting Paul George to find a way to get to the Clippers and LA pulled it off tonight: George goes to the Clippers with Leonard, and together they walk into Staples Center to go head-to-head with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
After Leonard pushed George to find a way to get to the Clippers, Paul George approached the team and requested a trade, league sources tell ESPN. OKC was left with no choice and made the best out of a difficult situation, per sources.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
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.
