Speculation that Paul George would one day return to his Southern California roots and play for the Los Angeles Lakers went into overdrive last summer when he requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers.
With just one year remaining on his contract, George made it clear his preference was to be dealt to the Lakers. Naturally, Los Angeles was said to have interest, but ultimately were unwilling to part with the necessary assets in order to trade for George.
After all, he was a perceived lock to sign with the Lakers come 2018 free agency. Despite making that sentiment clear, the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled the dice.