Why was Paul George traded to OKC? PG13 was promised best power forward at Pacers

While Paul George started his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers and played with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was constantly linked with the Los Angeles Lakers over the years. After playing with the Pacers for seven seasons, he was traded to OKC Thunder before he ended up with the Los Angeles Clippers this season. During a recent interview, it was revealed how the 'Paul George traded to OKC Thunder' turn of events transpired as the Pacers reportedly refused to sign one of 2017's best power forwards. 

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Paul George traded to OKC: Why and when did Paul George leave the Pacers?

LA Clipper star @Yg_Trece explains how things went down in Indy and why he ultimately left. @PlayersTribune #KnuckleHeads in partnership with @ATT ✊🏾😎✊🏾pic.twitter.com/QgNjaNAjGs

— Quentin Richardson (@QRich)

Why was Paul George traded to OKC by the Indiana Pacers?

While there were constant rumours about George being traded to Los Angeles, the Clippers shooting guard recently revealed that he originally planned to remain with the Indiana Pacers. During his interview on The Players Tribune's Knuckleheads podcast, George explained that one of 2017's best power forwards wanted to play alongside him at Indiana, an offer which the team refused. George revealed that at the time, one of the year's best power forwards wanted to come to Indiana, but the organisation told him that they were a 'mid-major' and a 'small market' team and would not be able to afford it. 

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George revealed that he then decided to leave Indiana for greener pastures. As per George, he decided to move as the Pacers did not want the player even when 'not everybody chooses Indy to come play'. He added that the team did not want to win, which made him demand a trade as he asked himself why was he still there.

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Who were 2017's best power forwards?

Anthony Davis, who currently plays for the LA Lakers, was considered one of the best power forwards of the year. Some reports indicate that Paul George was talking about Davis. However, according to rumours, there were no trades or deals in place that would send Davis to the Pacers, who, at the time would have been okay with paying him his market value. 

The other two power forwards who George could have been talking about are Paul Millsap and Blake Griffin. Millsap left the Atlanta Hawks for the Denver Nuggets, signing a three-year $90 million contract with a team option for the third season. On the other hand, Griffin re-signed with the Clippers on a five-year max contract which the Pacers would not have been able to afford. However, since George revealed that the team suggested a free agent who was recovering from an injury, Griffin is a less likely option. 

LaMarcus Aldridge is another option, as he had requested a trade from the San Antonio Spurs in 2017. However, the Spurs did not trade him before his contract with them ended. As per reports, the Pacers would have been able to afford him based on the final two years remaining on his max deal with the Spurs. Portland Trail Blazers' Carmelo Anthony, who was traded during the 2017 offseason, was also an option. However, the NBA veteran only wanted to play for the Houston Rockets or Cleveland Cavaliers before ending up with OKC Thunder. 

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(Image source: Paul George official Instagram)