How the Paul George trades shaped the 2025 Finals for Thunder and Pacers

The 2025 NBA Finals are set between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. Two franchises, each once built around Paul George, now find themselves on the biggest stage. It’s ironic that both franchises, two of the smallest markets in the league, are squaring off for a championship thanks to trading him.

George once represented each team’s best chance at a title and ultimately became the asset that launched both into the NBA Finals.

The Indiana Days: PG-13

Paul George arrived in Indiana in 2010 as the 10th overall pick, a lanky, defensive-minded wing from Fresno State. By his third season, he was an All-Star, a Most Improved Player, and the leader of a Pacers team that pushed LeBron James’ Miami Heat to the brink in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals.

George’s star continued to rise until a gruesome leg injury during a Team USA scrimmage in 2014 that threatened his career. Though he made a remarkable comeback, a career-best 23.7 points per game on 46% shooting, along with 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists, the Pacers around him were different story. Many players left and Indiana’s title window was closing. By 2017 George was unhappy with the Pacers' direction and asked for a trade, reportedly wanting to return to his native Los Angeles.

Indiana obliged, not by sending him to L.A., by sending George to Oklahoma City in a deal many initially panned. The Pacers received Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, solid players but not stars. That moment is the beginning for Indiana.

Oladipo blossomed into an All-NBA guard. Sabonis became a two-time All-Star. And eventually, the Pacers flipped Sabonis to Sacramento in 2022 for Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. Haliburton, an elite passer, shot-creator, and now face of the franchise, has since led the Pacers to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. His fast-paced, unselfish style has redefined Indiana basketball.

The stack of dominos falling began with George.

Oklahoma City’s Gamble and Payoff

When George landed in OKC in 2017, it was part of Sam Presti’s desperate bid to retool after Kevin Durant’s departure. Pairing George with Russell Westbrook brought immediate relevance. In his second year with the Thunder, George had the best season of his career, 28.7 points per game, First-Team All-NBA, and top-three finishes in MVP and DPOY voting.

Then, in the summer of 2019, George requested a trade to join Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles. The Clippers obliged, and in return, the Thunder pulled off one of the biggest heists in NBA history.

To the Clippers:

1. Paul George

To the Thunder:

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Danilo Gallinari
3. Five first-round picks
4. Two pick swaps

At the time, SGA was a promising but unspectacular rookie. Fast forward to 2025, he’s the NBA MVP, a complete two-way guard, and the undisputed leader of a 68-win Thunder team that stormed through the Western Conference.

And it didn’t stop there. The Clippers’ 2022 pick became Jalen Williams, a silky wing from Santa Clara who’s now an All-NBA selection and OKC’s No. 2 scoring option. Add in No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and role players like Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe, and the Thunder built a winner with assets directly tied to George’s departure.

Even the Clippers’ own collapse played a role, injuries to George and Kawhi led to lottery picks that Oklahoma City turned into foundational pieces.

The Full-Circle Finals

Indiana and Oklahoma City are not just in the moment, they are built for the future. They’re young, fast, efficient, and built without shortcuts. Neither signed a superstar in free agency. Neither won the lottery for a generational prospect. Instead, they traded their superstar, and trusted in vision, development, and patience.

And at the center of it all: current Philadelphia 76ers player Paul George.

He has never reached the NBA Finals himself. But his presence shaped this one more than any player not in uniform. Without George’s trade demands, Haliburton isn’t a Pacer. SGA isn’t a Thunder. Jalen Williams might be an All-NBA player in another market.

Paul George once represented each franchise’s best chance at a championship. In the end, he became the player that delivered them to the Finals by leaving.

Now, Indiana and OKC battle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, two franchises forever linked by the winding, unexpected legacy of PG-13.