The Finals "Built" by George: What NBA teams can learn from the Thunder Pacers team building

(This article was published on June 4, and the author is ESPN reporter Kevin Pelton, and the content of the article does not represent the translator's opinion.)

The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder will meet in the NBA Finals that will start this Friday, and the connection between the two teams can be traced back to a deal nearly eight years ago: when the Pacers sent Paul George to the Thunder.

The current core players of both teams can be traced back to this deal.

When Ninth-time All-Star member Paul George asked to join the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019 to join Leonard, the Thunder used this opportunity to obtain future MVP Shea Gilgers Alexander and draft picks. The Thunder later used these draft picks to select All-Star Jaylen Williams and rookie Dillon Jones, and there are more draft picks to be delivered, including this year's 15th and 24th picks.

After Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis (two who were exchanged for George) became All-Stars, the Pacers used them to continue to move forward. Sabonis became the core of the Pacers' heavy trade, in exchange for Tyres Halliburton, who was selected for the NBA All-Squad. And trading Oladipo for LeVere eventually brought starters Andrew Nembhard and substitute Ben Shepard to the Pacers, these draft picks were obtained from a 2023 deal involving LeVere.

Since other NBA teams can't trade him at George's peak, let's look at these deals and see what other teams can learn from how the Pacers and Thunder trade to build a young roster and make the Finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Trade:

Oladipo and Sabonis exchanged for Paul George (July 6, 2017)

George was traded to the Clippers for Gilgers Alexander, Garynery, five first-round picks and two draft picks swaps (July 6, 2019)

Experience 1: The cowardly earns no money

This can be traced back to the time when the Thunder first got George from the Indiana Pacers trade. In the summer of 2017, George had only one year left on his contract with a guaranteed period, and after that he could choose to become a full free agent.

Many small market teams are concerned about George leaving in the free market and thus will not seriously pursue the deal. However, Sam Presti, the executive vice president and general manager of the Thunder, had a different idea. He formed the Thunder's first finals roster (2011-12 season), and this time he decided to be bolder.

In the Sports Center documentary about George Free Market, Presti quoted a famous lyric from A Tribe Called Quest's 1993 song "Midnight" as a reason for the deal: "You can't make money if you're too scared."

Presti said: "If you want Paul George or any player to have confidence in your team, you have to show your confidence first."

Although combining George and Cameron Anthony with Russell Westbrook did not achieve the expected results in the 2018 playoffs - they were eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round - George renewed his contract that summer. This puts the Thunder in a good position when George proposed to leave the team a year later. The Thunder did not see a huge risk in trading George, partly because Oklahoma City did not need to give up any draft picks for this. So, this does not mean that the team should sacrifice the future regardless of everything to seek immediate victory. But seizing opportunities is also a bold strategy in itself.

In the short term, this experience is most directly applicable to Kevin Durant's expected trade from the Phoenix Suns. A small market team could take advantage of Durant's chances of becoming a free agent in 2026 to get him at a lower cost. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported last week that the Timberwolves' pursuit of Durant was serious before the trade deadline. Although things have changed since Minnesota entered the Western Conference Finals, the introduction of Durant is still worth exploring. Experience 2: Don't be afraid to use leverage

From paper, the Thunder's return through the George trade is amazing. In the following years, trading a large number of unprotected first-round picks and swap rights became commonplace, but it was unthinkable when the George deal took place.

Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder knew the Clippers weren't just trying to get George. They also hope to attract the hottest free agent Leonard on the market through George, who just led the Toronto Raptors to the championship and won the Finals MVP.

NBA decision makers may avoid being too aggressive in this case to avoid damaging the entire deal. It seems a bit greedy to ask for all draft picks because the Thunder also got potential star Gilgers Alexander. Although he had not shown MVP-level potential at the time, as a 20-year-old starter of the playoff team, he had already shown the potential of an All-Star player.

However, the Oklahoma City Thunder insisted on keeping George and did not lower their demands. Since then, the Thunder have achieved good results through smart operations and some luck. Gilgers Alexander proved himself a dazzling star, but everything the Thunder gets in the George trade makes it possible for them to be future dynasties.

The Milwaukee Bucks may also face a similar situation if they encounter Antetokounmpo's request for a trade. The Bucks are unlikely to have too many difficulties in finding a strong offer for Antetokounmpo. But they should not rush to accept an undesirable plan - especially if, like George, this plan can also send Antetokounmpo to his favorite team.

Indiana Pacers:

Trade:

George for Oladipo and Sabonis (July 6, 2017)

George for LeVere and two second-round picks (January 16, 2021)

George for LeVere and one second-round pick for Ricky Rubio, one first-round pick and two second-round picks ( February 7, 2022)

Sabonis Jr., Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round draft pick for Halliburton, Buddy Hilder and Tristan Thompson (February 8, 2022)

Experience 1: Identifying underrated potential players

These lessons are not all based on hindsight. In these transactions, almost every transaction has its potential value. The Pacers’ rewards for George are a notable exception. Oladipo's real shooting percentage has never reached the league average in the first four seasons in the NBA, and Sabonis Jr. started with the Thunder as a rookie, shooting percentage is below 40%. However, the Pacers rightly bet on both players has greater potential.

Pacers obviously saw Oladipo and Sabonis Jr. perform better with more ball holding and better space. When the Thunder played side by side with Westbrook, they were primarily supporting roles and failed to fully utilize their skills. Oladipo averaged only 2.4 minutes of ball possession per game in one season with the Thunder, while the Pacers increased to 4.4 minutes; Sabonis Jr. reduced from 159 three-point shots in his rookie season to only 121 in total in the next three seasons.

Oladipo's outbreak came more quickly. In the following season, he averaged 23.1 points per game, shooting 48%, and led the league in the steals list, won the title of "Fastest Progressive Player" and was selected into the NBA's third-tier team. However, this is already the peak moment for 25-year-old Oladipo. In January, he suffered a serious injury from a ruptured patellar tendon, which completely changed the direction of his career.

At the same time, Sabonis began to make his mark. He finished second in the 2018-19 season in the Sixth Man of the Year and partnered with Miles Turner for the next two seasons to become an All-Star player. Today, Sabonis has been selected into the All-Star three times and has entered the top ten in the MVP voting twice. It would be unwise for any player to bet on being able to replicate such a trajectory, but there are two recently underrated rookies worth paying attention if they can be in a better environment. Spurs forward Sohan struggled to find his place when he fought side by side with Vampan Yama. After Sohan was missing last season, the Spurs' performance improved. If he can partner with a more traditional space player, Sohan's defensive comprehensiveness and athleticism may be more prominent.

Jazz center Walker Kessler's situation is also quite attractive. Despite his impressive stats in the basket protection, his net efficiency on the field was not up to expectations. It's hard to say how much the young Utah backcourt has had. Better defensive execution may highlight Kessler's strengths, while a good defender may offer more opportunities for him to finish after the pick-and-roll.

Experience 2: Don't be afraid to trade star players

Although Sabonis performed well with the Pacers, the team has limited room for improvement. After George was traded, Indiana ended the first round of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, and then faced the fate of the Lotto draft again before the 2022 trading deadline. Another small market team may choose to rebuild around star Sabonis, who has proven themselves, but the Pacers are willing to give it a try, which is why they are now able to make the Finals.

At the time, it seemed a wise decision to exchange Sabonis for Halliburton as the core member of the six-man deal. Halliburton is four years younger than Sabonis, already a starter for the Sacramento Kings and has All-Star potential, and his rookie contract is a very cost-effective one. However, the deal made the Pacers’ roster too many defenders and the power forward position was a clear gap, which was one of the reasons why the Pacers only achieved 35 wins and 47 losses in the next season, despite Halliburton’s first All-Star selection.

Last season, everything finally turned around. Halliburton led the Pacers to the first NBA Cup finals and was selected for the All-Squad. Additionally, the Pacers got Siakam through a trade in January, filling the gap in the power forward position. In 2024, Indiana made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and eventually lost to the Boston Celtics. Now, the Pacers are going further, winning the Eastern Conference championship for the first time since 2000. Although the future finals journey is uncertain, as Halliburton enters its prime at the age of 2, the Pacers' championship window has been fully opened.

It's hard to say which teams can benefit from this lesson. It depends on which famous star will be pursued by balls that are eager to achieve success and willing to pay a high price. The broader revelation is that there should be no "untouchable" star players besides the top players in the league. As long as your management can prevent information from being leaked and avoid causing damage, it is always worth answering the call in case the other party is ready to make a mistake.

Original text: Kevin Pelton

Compiled: selu