The Indiana Pacers have finally made their move. Sources from The Vertical just announced that the Pacers are sending Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis are headed to Indiana. This is a pretty shock move, but Russell Westbrook finally has some assistance for next season. But is it worth the cost of arguably the second best player on the team, and a decent role player? Let's break it down.
Paul George
Paul George was great for the Pacers this past season. He averaged 23.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game, through the 75 games he started while averaging 35.9 minutes per game.
To say he was great this season is an understatement. However after crashing out of the playoffs via sweep from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Paul George made it clear he wanted to play elsewhere, and told the Pacers he would leave at the end of his contract. Giving them only one choice.
And here we are. Now this offensive juggernaut is on his way to Oklahoma City to link up with MVP of the most recent NBA season. So what is in store for the duo?
Impact of the trade
We all know how good Russell Westbrook was last season. Adding Paul George, makes it a deadly duo, rather than a deadly solo act. But what about the loss of Oladipo and Sabonis? Oladipo was second in points last season behind Westbrook, averaging 15.9.
He was also second highest in assists at 2.6. Sabonis on the other hand, only provided 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists per game whilst averaging 20.1 minutes per game.
With that being said, they definitely lose a solid piece in Oladipo, and an at best decent bench player in Sabonis; so the offensive prowess they get back is definitely worth it.
But with all that being said, the weak return for Paul George indicates that a large market must not have existed as this time. But that begs the question, why didn't the Pacers hold out just a little longer? I think if they had waited a bit longer, the offers would have started to mount up as we get closer to the season; but apparently upper management had no interest in doing so.
Although this trade also comes at somewhat of a large loss to the Pacers, the Thunder are taking quite a big stab at a man who has stated his intention to test free agency when his contract expires next year. Indicating that they clearly felt the need to hastily bring in some help for Russell Westbrook, in fear of his contract also coming up in 2018.
Bottom line
It is clear the Thunder are in a fight or flight mode for next season, so I wouldn't expect this to be the last move they make by any means. We can also see that the Pacers are going through an overhaul, and with the Timberwolves signing Jeff Teague, it looks like it will be a complete overhaul. But be on the lookout for more lightning from the Thunder, and expect the Pacers to bring some future prospects in, in lieu of current success.
