A Big Three Of Devin Booker, Paul George And Jimmy Butler On The Same Team? The Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns And Los Angeles Clippers Stars Could Have All Been Drafted By The Same Team

Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) and Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat) all could have been drafted by the Indiana Pacers.

The Indiana Pacers could have had Devin Booker, Paul George and Jimmy Butler on the same team at one point. 

Yes, that is correct. 

The Pacers drafted George in 2010, and they could have drafted Butler in 2011 and Booker in 2015. 

Let's take a look at how that could have been possible:

George was drafted by the Pacers with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and he spent the first seven years of his career in Indiana. 

#TBT to the 2010 @NBADraft, when @Yg_Trece was the 10th overall pick & 21st Bulldog selected in a NBA Draft (5th 1st Round Pick). #GoDogs pic.twitter.com/AD1rYNn0Sf

— Fresno State Men’s Basketball (@FresnoStateMBB) June 22, 2017

He was an All-Star four times on the Pacers and made the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014, but was knocked out by LeBron James and the Miami Heat in both seasons. 

The season after they drafted George, they had the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and they made a massive mistake. 

The Pacers made a trade with the San Antonio Spurs, which was headlined by the 15th overall pick (which became Kawhi Leonard) being sent to San Antonio for George Hill. 

10 YEARS AGO TODAY
The Pacers drafted Kawhi Leonard with the 15th pick.

They then traded him, the 42nd pick (Davis Bertans) & Erazem Lorbek to the Spurs for George Hill. pic.twitter.com/w2EuzK2AlP

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 23, 2021

The trade was not a disaster because Hill was a solid point guard for the Pacers, but they could have Leonard and they also could have drafted Jimmy Butler who was drafted with the 30th overall pick that season. 

Therefore, they missed out on Leonard and Butler. 

2011 Draft:
Kawhi Leonard: 1st Round, 15th pick.
Jimmy Butler: 1st Round, 30th pick.
Don't sleep on Jimmy. #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/c0hROaVW1d

— Bulls Nation (@BullsNationCP) December 8, 2016

In 2015, they made a very solid selection in Myles Turner out of Texas who has been a star defender for the team for the last six years. 

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧.

"With the 11th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select Myles Turner from the University of Texas."#PacersDraft2020 pic.twitter.com/F6zMsZwwZR

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 6, 2020

However, just two picks later (13th overall), the Phoenix Suns selected Devin Booker out of Kentucky. 

Turner was not a bad choice, but Booker clearly is the better player. 

Five years ago, with the 13th pick in the 2015 @NBA draft, we selected a gentleman by the name of

Devin Armani Booker

The rest... is still history in the making. pic.twitter.com/e7RClevv1V

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 25, 2020

That's the story on how the Pacers could have had a big three of George, Butler (or Leonard) and Booker.