NBA Trade Deadline Portfolio 2018: Paul George
By Ben Ladner
More than 50 games into the season, the Thunder are still very much a work in progress. They’re currently fifth in the Western Conference and slowly trimming the separation between themselves and the Timberwolves and Spurs, who sit just above them. The fit of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George has not been quite as clean as some optimists thought it could be, but gradually, Oklahoma City has begun figure it out.
That should come as unwelcome news to any team hoping to join the trade market for George. Had things gone south early, OKC might have tested his value or considered potential deals. Cleveland’s pick from the Nets or any of the Lakers’ young pieces might have been in play as the Feb. 8 trade deadline approached. Now, a deal seems exceedingly unlikely, as Oklahoma City appears committed to maximizing its current group for however long it stays together.
George fits into a rare subset of NBA players. At the very least, he’s a killer 3-and-D player, shooting almost 43 percent from downtown and making a strong case for a spot on the All-Defensive first team. At his best, he’s one of the most dynamic two-way players the game has to offer – a lockdown defender capable of efficiently ripping his opponent’s heart out on the other end. Most of the time, George seems to fall in between those two extremes – overqualified for the latter, but not quite built to carry a contender night-to-night.
Some players, like Westbrook, can play their style and impose their will regardless of the situation around them, for better or for worse. George requires a certain context to be at his best, surrounded by other playmakers that can get him the ball in advantageous positions and shot makers who take on just enough of the burden to afford him enough space to maximize those advantages. That ecosystem doesn’t always exist in Oklahoma City, where breathing room can be hard to come by, in a slow, stagnant offense. Westbrook’s teams always bend to his will, and Anthony’s game exists almost independent of the rest of the offense. The rest of the team is limited nearly to the point of complete dependence on George and Westbrook.
But things are coming around. Each star is finding his own rhythm while role players like Andre Roberson (before a potentially devastating injury) and Steven Adams carve out useful niches of their own. Despite his inefficiency and turnover issues, Westbrook is still one of the league’s very best distributors, and having options like George and Anthony to space the floor is beginning to make life easier for all parties. George is playing the most suffocating defense of his career. The possibility of the Thunder legitimately challenging Golden State is still a distant prospect, but it grows marginally more realistic every week.
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The case for trading George, while overwhelmingly improbable, is this: Oklahoma City knows the perils of losing a star for nothing in free agency, and George has given little indication as to where he might end up next season. Maybe it would be worth flipping him to a buyer for assets and spare parts. Cleveland appears to be a mortal lock to make a move before the deadline, and George would certainly improve the Cavs’ outlook on returning to and winning the NBA Finals. The Lakers clearly have some level of confidence they can lure George to L.A. this summer, but might try to secure him before then and lock in their coveted star.
Still, George and Westbrook are in their primes with Anthony just past his, and the Thunder are good right now. If they want to remain competitive in the post-Durant era, this might be their best shot. They’ll have to give honest evaluation to their chances of seriously competing this season and retaining George this summer. If either one looks like a possibility, Oklahoma City will take a big swing with the group it has and face any possible repercussions later.