The weeks of Paul George trade rumors apparently have come to an end: the former Indiana Pacers wing has been traded.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne first reported that George has been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both Shelburne and USA Today’s Sam Amick say Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis are headed to Indiana as part of the deal.
The Thunder were among the teams known to have been vying for George’s services, but they were not viewed as a favorite to land the four-time All-Star. The pieces they were offering Indiana as part of the deal clearly were enticing to the Pacers. Plus, there were reports saying Indiana’s leadership was hesitant to send George to the Lakers, all of which could have contributed to this surprising outcome.
George still has a year left on his contract. He told the Pacers he planned to leave after next season and sign with the Lakers, which led Indiana to begin shopping him. The belief that George will eventually sign with the Lakers — thus making him a one-year rental for some teams — somewhat limited the return Indiana could receive in a trade.
