The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade is going to be talked about for a long time.
The No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Clippers to the Thunder following his rookie season. He has since developed into one of the biggest stars in the NBA. He earned the first All-Star selection of his career in 2022-23 and finished second in MVP voting in 2023-24.
LA got a big star in return, but it didn't come cheap. Not only did the franchise have to give up Gilgeous-Alexander to acquire Paul George, but there were a number of draft picks exchanged.
The trade stings even more now that George will leave the Clippers for another team in 2024 free agency.
Here's everything you need to know about the deal that sent Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder and George to the Clippers.
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Why did the Clippers trade Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George?
The Clippers acquiring George was part of their plan to land Kawhi Leonard in free agency.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported at the time that Leonard wanted to walk into a championship contender after winning the title with the Raptors and believed George was "the co-star he wanted by his side."
Leonard later told ESPN that the idea of them teaming up started before George was even traded to the Thunder.
"The idea started probably me playing in San Antonio and him being on the Pacers. I was trying to get San Antonio to get him over with us," Leonard said. "You know how things work with trades. He ended up to the Thunder, probably had a better package for him. That's probably when the initial idea started — when he wanted to get out of Indiana."
George was one of the biggest stars in the NBA at the time. He averaged 25.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game in two seasons with the Thunder, earning him back-to-back All-Star and All-NBA selections, and he was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year in 2018-19.
“Paul George is one of the greatest two-way players in our game,” said Lawrence Frank, LA's President of Basketball Operations. “He is both an elite scorer and a relentless defender whose versatility elevates any team. When you have the opportunity to acquire a contributor of his caliber, you do what it takes to bring him home.
"Paul is a native of the Los Angeles area and an ideal fit for the Clippers, thanks to his selflessness and drive. Following the lead of Steve Ballmer, we have plotted an aggressive course to build a championship contender, and acquiring Paul is a critical step.”
What did the Clippers trade for Paul George?
Here's what it took for the Clippers to acquire George from the Thunder:
- Clippers received: Paul George
- Thunder received: Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2021 first-round pick (became Tre Mann), 2022 first-round pick (became Jalen Williams), 2023 first-round pick (became Jaime Jaquez Jr.), 2023 first-round pick swap, 2024 first-round draft pick (became Dillon Jones), 2025 first-round pick swap, 2026 first-round pick
Injuries limited George in his LA tenure, but he earned the ninth All-Star selection of his career in 2023-24 and helped the Clippers make their first appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2021.
The Thunder selected Tre Mann, Jalen Williams and Dillon Jones with three of the picks they received in the trade.
The 2023 pick the Thunder acquired via the Heat was amended to a 2025 first-round protected pick. If not conveyed, it will be a 2026 unprotected pick.
