Magnifying Glass: Thunder Draft Capital on the Rise Following Paul George Injury
When Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti dealt then six-time All-Star Paul George to his hometown Los Angeles Clippers, the Clippers laid all their cards onto the table.
With a slew of assets, including Danilo Gallinari, a then 20-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, two first-round pick swaps and a record-setting five first-round selections, the Thunder were given all the tools to pan for gold.
Two years removed from the situation, the Thunder have made out like bandits. With a playoff-punching season with Gallinari, their quintet of picks still standing, and a newfound star in Gilgeous-Alexander – Presti’s pile has paid its dividends.
Now, from the trade’s most unlikely asset, the Thunder’s treasure trove has gotten even more enticing. As for the source of potential luster, look no further than the Clippers’ 2022 first-round selection.
Headed into the 2022 regular-season, the Clippers’ 2022 first-round selection already looked to be worth more than the Thunder bargained for. With forward Kawhi Leonard undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery over the offseason, Los Angeles’ troop needed to conform absent one of their stars.
Thus far, they have, clinging to the fifth-best seed in the West upon a 17-15 record.
However, the Clippers’ championship-level roster has taken another brutal blow this past week, as Paul George has been ruled out indefinitely with a torn ligament in his right elbow. George will be re-evaluated in three-to-four weeks.
George, age 31, led Los Angeles across 26 games, placing averages of 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists across 35.5 minutes.
With the recent hit, the Los Angeles Clippers will now be out of their two stars for the indefinite future as with Kawhi marked out for the season, and PG out-of-play for a month at minimum – they’ll be looking to make adjustments again. As a result, their top options now rest in guards Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, and Terance Mann.
Even during George’s five-game absence earlier in the month, Los Angeles managed to rally to a 3-2 record, but, with a long-term outage of both stars – the franchise will be playing under high stakes.
With the separation from the Clippers’ fifth-seed to the conference’s twelfth-seeded Kings being a mere 4.5 games, faulty play could spur the group to potential play-in waters, or worse.
Though injuries are the worst way of result, the Thunder would reap any rewards of the Clippers’ potential slip-ups. With the Clippers’ aforementioned 2022 first-round pick indebted to the Thunder – a mid-season cold spell would, in turn, hand Oklahoma City another potential lottery token. As an additive, the Clippers shipped this selection out with no protections, ensuring this pick heads in Bricktown's direction.
The Oklahoma City Thunder currently carry the fourth-best lottery odds with an 11-20 record.
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