Full details of Shai, Paul George trade put Thunder in all-time-best class

Though it's been five full years since the OKC Thunder traded Paul George to the LA Clippers, the franchise still finds itself reaping the rewards of the blockbuster transaction.

Following a 2018-19 campaign that saw him post sensational averages of 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.2 steals, finish third in the running for league MVP, and help guide the team to the sixth-best record in the Western Conference, Sam Presti opted to pull the plug on Oklahoma City's win-now mindset by trading both the star small forward and Russell Westbrook outbound.

While the Westbrook transaction is one that deserves high praise on its own, the George trade to the Clippers is the one that has primarily led the charge in guiding the Thunder to where they are today and, following his recent signing with the Philadelphia 76ers during the morning hours of day two of free agency, it may still hold significant weight when it comes to future rewards as well.

Clippers trade for Paul George still rewarding Thunder five years later

In exchange for his services on that fateful July night back in 2019, the Thunder received a return package of:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Danilo Gallinari
• 5 first-round draft picks
• First-round pick swaps in 2023 and 2025.

Obviously, not much can be said about the SGA acquisition that's not already well-known among the Loud City faithful and, frankly, the entire league.

The 25-year-old is coming off a historic season that saw him post elite all-around averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and just shy of a block on 53.5 percent shooting from the floor and 35.3 percent shooting from deep and finished second in the running for league MVP.

While netting a legitimate franchise cornerstone and superstar guard in exchange for an aging star in George is enough on its own to warrant consideration for this deal being considered one of the greatest trade returns ever, what makes it arguably the best are the draft picks and, more importantly, what they've added and could still add with them.

With ownership of LA's draft rights, already the Thunder have cashed in big-time on the rewards, as they landed rising superstar forward Jalen Williams with them back in 2022 -- the forward is coming off a phenomenal season where he dropped 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 54.0 percent shooting and 42.7 percent shooting from deep all while serving as the second-best player on the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Now, with the departure of George, one could make a strong case that it drastically improves Oklahoma City's ability to land yet another sensational talent during the loaded 2025 NBA draft, for, as mentioned earlier, they hold the right to swap with the Clippers should they end up with the better selection which, based on how last year panned out and considering they've lost their second-best player to the Sixers, they likely will.

With more draft capital than they know what to do with, roughly $35 million in spending power, and three legitimate organizational centerpieces in Chet Holmgren, J-Dub, and SGA all attached to rookie-scale and/ or reasonably-priced contracts, it was already safe to say that the Thunder are perhaps the most well-positioned team in the entire association.

Now, following Paul George's departure from the Clippers via his free agency signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, their already sky-high fortunes have somehow managed to get even better.