Paul George signing a long-term deal in Oklahoma City is bigger than either the player or the franchise involved, and it could impact Kawhi Leonard’s trade market.
Paul George was not supposed to go to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he certainly was not supposed to stay in Oklahoma City after the Thunder traded for him. George declared that he wanted out of Indiana with a declared destination of Los Angeles last summer, and OKC traded for him anyway.
At the moment of that trade, it seemed like the Thunder had erred. Why trade for a player who will simply leave in a year? OKC gave up real assets (especially considering Victor Oladipo’s emergence as a star in his own right), meaning the Lakers could sit back and hold onto their picks and young players until George came to L.A. in a year.
It was a risky bet for Thunder GM Sam Presti. OKC had a true superstar in Russell Westbrook, but Oklahoma City is not Los Angeles. Russ is not LeBron James, or any of the other stars the Lakers are convinced they will add to their roster. The Thunder had the odds stacked against them in holding onto George.
They did it anyway, though, and now have both of their stars plus Steven Adams locked down for the next few seasons. They may not win a title in that stretch, but they’ll be very good.
Kawhi Leonard has followed George’s example in demanding a trade and letting it be known that he intends on being a Los Angeles Laker, either this summer or the next when he is an unrestricted free agent. Teams who might have been scared away by the purple and gold giant waiting in SoCal might find some inspiration in Oklahoma City keeping PG-13.
The odds may seem against any non-Lakers destination interested in Kawhi, but if the small market Thunder can keep Paul George then maybe another team could do the same with Kawhi Leonard. The Philadelphia 76ers certainly seem interested in trying to do so.
Teams in worse position than the 76ers might talk themselves into going all-in for Leonard. There are so few chances to add a legitimate superstar in the NBA. Kawhi is 26, and his last full season saw him lead the Spurs to 61 wins while dominating on both ends. Any team with the ammo to trade for Leonard and pair him with another star-caliber player would become a powerhouse, assuming Kawhi gets healthy for the coming season.
The Phoenix Suns, for example, have all of their own draft picks, a first-rounder from the Bucks incoming, and a host of interesting young players. What better way could there be to pacify an upset Devin Booker than to slot Kawhi Leonard in next to him and Deandre Ayton?
Next: The Los Angeles Lakers are, once again, the NBA's best show
Trading for Kawhi Leonard could absolutely blow up in a team’s face. Not every star player trade works as well for the team acquiring the star as the Paul George one did for the Thunder. But Oklahoma City has offered concrete proof that a strong culture of success is enough to retain star players, even when bigger markets come calling.