Dribble his ball | Give it another chance Will the Clippers still give up Alexander for George?
As the Los Angeles Clippers brass toasted, then-coach Doc Rivers was faced with a tricky task.
The day was July 10, 2019, and the Clippers had just completed a big trade that would have the chance to change the landscape of the entire NBA league.
The Clippers' long-term pursuit of Leonard was a success, as they acquired Carlos Jr.'s handpicked partner Paul George from the Thunder in a blockbuster trade, thus securing the two-time Finals MVP's commitment to join as a free agent.
In an instant, the not-so-glamorous Los Angeles team became a serious contender for the championship, but it was also extremely costly: they sent the Thunder to the promising 20-year-old guard Alexander, who had just been selected to the rookie second team, and a staggering number of first-round picks.
Rivers was in charge of calling Alexander to inform him of the deal.
"Alexander said he could understand, but he was a competitive guy. Before Rivers became head coach of the Bucks this year, he talked about it as an ESPN commentator. This bothered Alexander. Because every time you're traded to another team, the reason you're traded is because the former club wants to win a championship, and you're like, 'Okay, wait, can I not do that?'"
Thunder general manager Presti is adamant that Alexander join, hoping he will be the centerpiece of the team in the coming years. Alexander played an important role in his rookie season with the Clippers, averaging 10.8 points and 3.3 assists per game, and Rivers believes he has the potential to become a star.
George was a superstar of his playing year at the time, and he played his career year in '19 and was selected for the first team. He and Xiaoka appreciate each other.
If sending Alexander away is a condition for the Clippers to get the superstar pairing, then he has to leave.
"I didn't expect that. Alexander recalled: "It's not that I don't understand why the Clippers are doing this. It makes sense that George was playing MVP-caliber seasons at the time. I use that as motivation and I just want to be better and really be that kind of player. ”
Coming to the Thunder's fifth season, Alexander has become a major contender for MVP. His key partner, second-year forward Jalen Williams, was also selected in one of the first-round picks in the Clippers trade.
More than four years later, the Thunder have a huge stock of first-round picks and are still reaping the rewards. At the same time, the Clippers have not been able to make it to the Finals, in part because of frequent injuries to Leonard and George.
Now that the Clippers and Thunder are battling it out for the top spot in the West, maybe they'll meet in the playoffs. These two teams are linked again and everything stems from the story that happened in the summer of 2019.
A few days after being traded to the Clippers, George described the deal as a "shared decision" between him and the Thunder, while Presti had a different view.
"That means we're trading George, and I think most people probably think it's not our biggest move of the offseason. Presti said at a press conference held after that.
Because after George's departure, Westbrook, one of the best players in Thunder history and 11 years with the team, also requested a trade to the Rockets to reunite with his brother Harden.
Jr.Ka's intention to join the Clippers has accelerated the process of the Thunder's rebuild. The Clippers' promise to get the little card depends on George's arrival. This gave Presti unprecedented dominance, and the Thunder invisibly took advantage of that.
"I've even asked Xiaoka, are you sure? Rivers recalled. "I think Alexander is going to be a very good player. It could take a year or two, but I think you're underestimating what he's capable of. ”
"I did not dispute this decision, but I raised the issue. I just thought, is there a way we can get this deal done without sending Alexander away?"
Presti answered 22 questions from the Russian media that day, and it wasn't until the 21st question that he was specifically asked about Alexander.
"I think he's a piece of jade that doesn't really shine. Presti said, calling Alexander "a sponge," referring to his ability to learn. 'I think Alexander's performance at the moment is nowhere near the limit of his potential, but we have to be patient with the process. ”
Alexander was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft, and Rivers proudly declared that he considers Alexander a cornerstone talent for the team, but will he be an MVP candidate when he's close to his prime? Rivers isn't sure about that.
In his first season in Russia, Alexander averaged 19 points per game to lead the team. The Thunder are fifth in the West, and in the first round of the playoffs at Disney Park, the Rockets led by Harden and Willis are forced to tie seven.
In the offseason, Presti embarked on a complete rebuild. Paul, Gallinari, starting center Adams and sixth man Schroder were all traded this offseason, and the Thunder built around Alexander. Head coach Donovan and the Thunder parted peacefully, and assistant coach Daigneault, who was only 35 years old, was promoted.
In the two seasons since, the Thunder have a combined 46-108 record. Alexander was a stellar performer, averaging 24.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, but he played in just 91 of the 154 games he played in those two seasons.
However, the Thunder were not in the NBA spotlight at the time, and Alexander's name was rarely discussed during that time. Although he has been caught up in trade rumors at times, Thunder management never really wanted to send away the player they see as the cornerstone of the team.
In the 2021 offseason, Alexander signed a five-year, $173 million max contract with the Thunder. This contract is seen as a promise from the Thunder to Alexander, and it also shows Alexander's confidence in the team's rebuilding path.
Last season, Alexander made a huge leap, averaging 31.4 points per game, becoming only the third guard since Jordan and Wade to average at least 30 points, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game in a single season. Despite the loss of the season for the top star Chet, the Thunder won 16 more games than the previous season under Alexander and qualified for the play-in tournament. With such a heroic performance, Alexander was selected for the first time and came in second place in the selection of the most improved player.
"We expected Alexander to be very good, but we didn't expect him to be so special. George said after the home win over the Thunder on Jan. 16 that George had 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. "So in my opinion, the Thunder made enough money on that deal. They got a draft pick and won a future MVP player. ”
Today, Alexander has become one of the best players in the league, and under his leadership, the Thunder are on the road to revival. The 25-year-old Alexander is already the oldest player on the Thunder's starting lineup, Chet is a strong contender for Rookie of the Year, and Jalen Williams has been eye-catching. Before the All-Star break, the Thunder were 37-17 and ranked second in the West.
The Thunder are certainly not perfect, for example, their roster is severely lacking in playoff experience, but the more interesting question at the moment is whether this team is ready for the upcoming playoff journey?
"Truth be told, we don't think too much about these issues, we just let what should come to us. Alexander said after leading his team to a win over Celtic on Jan. 2. Since that game, the Thunder have won five in a row, and their opponents include Western Conference leaders the Timberwolves and defending champion Nuggets.
'Every day we play the same way and I think we all need to live in the moment and give our best in the moment and that's why we can be better. We just stay in the present and try to live this day well, and everything in the future will come naturally. ”
"I've found a truth in my career, give up your expectations, but don't give up on your goals. You just have to focus day after day and try to get better every day, and then you will have 365 days to get better. ”
Jalen Williams was preparing to go to Santa Clara University for his freshman year when he recalled that in April 2019, Lillard sent George and the Thunder home in the first round with a 37-foot three-pointer, but at this point he was barely on the radar of NBA scouts, let alone having a lottery prospect in the draft.
Jayway occasionally wonders what if Lillard hadn't made that shot, what if the Thunder had turned the series around, and would George have been traded to the Clippers?
"I became a part of that thing. "It's crazy to get into the spiral of Lillard's lore and George's trade," Jayway said. ”
The Thunder selected Jawell with the 12th pick in the first round in 2022, this first round from the Clippers. Interestingly, the Clippers suffered a lot of bad luck to get this first-round lottery.
Small, who had been injured in the Western Conference semifinals the year before, was reimbursed for the entire season with a knee injury. George only played 31 games due to injury, and the Clippers ended up 42-40 and eighth in the West. Then in the playoffs, George contracted the coronavirus, and they missed the playoffs, giving the lottery to the Thunder.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and with an arm span of 7-foot-2, Jay is the first player to be drafted by Santa Clara University since 1996, the last being superstar Steve Nash. Jayway's performance in the NBA combined tryouts earned him a first-round pick prospect for the rest of the game, and his draft prospects continued to climb after playing tryouts with more than a dozen teams.
This season, Jayway ranks second on the team in points (19.2) and assists (4.6) per game, behind Alexander. He shot 54.4 percent from the field and 45.3 percent from three-point range. Because of his creativity on the pitch, Jaewe was called an "artist" by coach Daigneault. Holmgren and Dort have received a lot of praise for the Thunder's fourth-place defense in the league, but Jayway's contributions on the defensive end have also been indispensable. That's not often for a young scorer.
'He's going to be a star in the future. Alexander said after Jerway's 36 points in a Dec. 28 win over the New York Knicks. "We can see that the sky is the limit for him. ”
For the foreseeable future, Alexander will grow into a superstar in the league. Therefore, using George as a bargaining chip to trade Alexander is considered to be Presti's brilliant move. The Clippers' first-round selection of Jay is also of surprising value in the minds of many scouts and executives, and this talented forward could be Alexander's long-term partner in the future.
"I think this deal is good for both parties. "I think both sides are happy with the way they are now. The Clippers now have Harden as well. It makes the NBA a lot of fun. ”
Small's first season with George came to an abrupt end in the second round of the playoffs, and Rivers left the Clippers as well. Rivers said, "Looking back years later, I believe that no matter what you do, you would never have made that deal, but no one has a crystal ball [to go back in time]." ”
There are plenty of other chips in the deal, some of which are still inconclusive. For example, the Thunder drafted guard Tre Mann with the No. 18 pick in the first round in 2021, which was also the first round of the Clippers. However, at this year's trade deadline, the Thunder have sent him to Charlotte in exchange for veteran wing Hayward from the Hornets.
The Clippers' first-round pick this year will go to either the Wizards or the Jazz, as Presti has traded the two least valuable in the 2024 first-round pick for future upside.
Before last year's draft, the Thunder gave up one of the least valuable first-rounders in 24 years to get a top-five first-round pick from the Nuggets in 2029. And before this year's deadline, Presti repeated the same trick and sent the Clippers to the Mavericks in the first round, earning the latter's 2028 first-round swap rights.
The Thunder also have a 2025 first-round swap with the Clippers. And the 2026 Clippers first round was also disposed of by Presti in his typical way. At that time, the Clippers were in talks with the 76ers about trading Harden, and they were one first-round pick away, so they called the Thunder. Presti gave up the Thunder's lowest-pick pick in the 2026 first round in exchange for the Clippers for a 2027 first-round swap.
The Clippers eventually got their wish for Harden, who they hoped would be the final piece of the puzzle to challenge for a championship. The Thunder, on the other hand, have another potential lottery upside, betting on the Clippers in '27, the Mavericks in '28, and the Nuggets in '29.
The Thunder turned around in a fortuitous trade request, aiming to pave the way for a long-term title race, which seems to be a reality that will happen for the foreseeable future. Having a core of new stars and a host of draft picks that make their future look promising, it can be a challenge for Presti, but every general manager will be happy to take on the daunting task.
"I think it's a win-win deal," George said after the Clippers' home win over the Thunder on Jan. 17, "but the Clippers did give up a lot of things for me, but what they promised me is what I promised them." So I'm grateful that they brought me here. Thank you so much Ballmer, but it's definitely a win-win deal. ”