ESPN.com · Jun 4, 2025
NBA Finals 2025: How Paul George blockbusters built Thunder and Pacers
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The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, meeting in the NBA Finals starting Thursday, are linked by the trade they made nearly eight years ago: sending Paul George from Indy to OKC.
Each team can trace its current stars to trading George away.
When George, now a nine-time All-Star, requested to join Kawhi Leonard with the LA Clippers in 2019, the Thunder leveraged the situation to acquire future MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as draft picks that have yielded All-Star Jalen Williams and rookie Dillon Jones, with more still to come, including this year's No. 15 and No. 24 selections.