Reevaluating if big swing trades by OKC Thunder and Raptors were worth the risk
OKC Thunder initial retention of PG and subsequent trade haul could also be viewed positively:
If there is any solace to take away from Paul George leaving just one summer after re-signing it is the haul the Thunder got in return. An unprecedented five draft picks and two pick swaps are what everyone is focused on.
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However, it’s important not to sleep on Danilo Gallinari a big who provides versatility offensively and who the Thunder could still move. The big asset win for the OKC Thunder (particularly since Westbrook was also traded) is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who OKC will immediately insert as the starter and becomes the Thunder point guard of the future.
From the perspective of what the Raptors and Thunder got it’s all relative. Would the Thunder winning one title followed by an exit have sufficed? Conversely, can the loss of George be considered a failure when the Thunder netted so much in return?