OKC Thunder: Pros and cons to a Chris Paul trade

Con to OKC Thunder trading Chris Paul: SGA loses a mentor

Coming into his rookie year in 2018, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the most NBA-ready players in his class. Acquiring him from the Clippers in return for Paul George (along with the draft picks that came with, of course) was huge. It gave the Thunder a major piece of what their future would look like.

SGA blossomed even further in his sophomore season with a new team, averaging 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as a starter. He has All-Star potential and dare I say an MVP ceiling?

In his own right, Gilgeous-Alexander is a great young player. But his jump this season could not have been possible in some ways without a mentor in Chris Paul.

Forget the dynamic ability they have as a backcourt pairing, that’s evident in their 7.4 net rating as a duo.

Having someone like Paul to guide a young player who is going to have steep expectations placed on him throughout his career is a major key for success. Navigating the strange world of being a professional athlete is tricky. Paul has been there, done that.

Their relationship was clearly a positive one. Filled with jokes:

And competition, as told in a podcast episode by Paul himself:

"“And so for me going into this year, of course, they always going to make the jokes like ah he the old head, he’s old such and such and I’m always with that but I’m going to compete too. You know what I’m saying, I’m gonna show Shai, because me and him always playing against each other, shooting against each other., – – where I’ll be the old head but I still bust your ass, you know what I’m saying, right? For real, for real.”"

Gilgeous-Alexander has been vocally appreciative of the guidance from Paul, as well:

"“I knew [pairing with CP3] would make me better, ultimately,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And it has. And he’s taught me so many things, and I’m grateful for it.”"

While SGA has a bright future regardless of who is there to mentor and guide him, having Paul was certainly additive in this department.