In 2019, the massive trade that sent then-budding star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder and brought Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers made great sense. Bringing P.G. to the "City of Angels" meant Kawhi Leonard would sign with the Clippers, creating a dynamic duo involving two of the league's elite two-way players.

Fast-forward to 2024, and the trade doesn't look as fantastic anymore, considering P.G. is no longer on the team. Meanwhile, SGA has become one of the league's most revered players -- a legitimate MVP candidate who has helped elevate the Thunder to title-contender status.

The doomed pairing

With PG and Kawhi in town, many pegged the Clippers to compete for the NBA title year in and out. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case, as injuries to the two players prevented the team from fully realizing their potential. In their five seasons together, the farthest the Clippers have made it in the playoffs was to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, where the Phoenix Suns defeated them.

"The George-Leonard pairing looked tremendous on paper, but constant injury issues prevented it from ever approaching its potential. George, who signed with Philadelphia over the summer, spent five seasons in L.A., a span that produced just three playoff series wins (none since 2021)," Zach Buckley wrote on Bleacher Report.

The trade: Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, five first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George

Draft picks that panned out

In addition to SGA, the Clippers also sent OKC a treasure trove of draft picks, which have been quite valuable. In 2022, the Thunder selected Jalen Williams with the 12th pick, and since that time, the versatile wingman has become a foundational piece of the team, averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.

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