What a ride Paul George has been on since getting traded by the OKC Thunder back in 2019. Back then, the All-Star's price tag was astronomical, earning the Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a draft pick that led to Jalen Williams, and much more.
It's only fitting that, as OKC used its last asset from the trade to draft Michigan's Aday Mara, the now-36-year-old was involved in yet another trade a week later. Though this transaction looked a bit different from the one that OKC built its franchise around.
George was an add-in in a deal that sent Jaylen Brown to the Sixers. Amid the breaking news, he was accused of having a "negative contract" by ESPN's Shams Charania.
In other words, with his lucrative $54.1 million for the upcoming season, there is an argument to be made that his value works against the rest of the assets the Celtics are bringing in.
Recent trade a culmination of disappointment for former Thunder star
The trade sums up George's career since leaving Oklahoma City, where he averaged 78 games played over two years while scoring a career-high 28.0 points per game in 2018-19.
Since then, he has played over 55 games in a season just once in seven years.
Plagued by countless injuries, he was unable to live up to his worth in Los Angeles. Over the past two years in Philly, his on-court production dipped, as he failed to average more than 20.0 points per game in a season for the first time since 2014-15, when he played just six games at the start of April after returning to limited action from a broken leg.
To say general manager Sam Presti sold high on the former All-Star would be an understatement. From blockbuster trade centerpiece to halfhearted add-on, fans are witnessing the fall of a once-dominant superstar, and it's difficult to see how it gets better from here.
George now joins a Celtics team that has endured numerous changes over the past year. Jayson Tatum is still the team's focal point, and players like Nikola Vucevic have come and gone. Boston added center Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley to go along with the former Sixer.
At this point, Paul George remains nothing more than a question mark. Fans are left wondering whether he still has anything left in the tank and if he is even capable of playing a full season. It's hard to believe that he has any more "vintage Paul George" years left in him.
One thing is for certain, though -- after seeing what his career has devolved into, it definitely feels good to be a Thunder fan right about now.
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