Trade grades: Pacers get peanuts for George
The Indiana Pacers finally bit the bullet and traded Paul George before he entered the last year of his contract.
Indiana reportedly shipped George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in a shocking Friday night deal that changed the playoff picture in both conferences.
Here are the trade grades for each team.
Pacers: D
The Pacers were dealt a rough hand when George threatened to walk next summer, but it's hard to fathom just how little they received in exchange for a four-time All-Star.
Oladipo, a capable starter, is only 24, but he is neither promising nor cheap. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 15.9 points and 4.3 rebounds last season in 33.2 minutes of play while shooting mediocre percentages from the field and above the arc. That marked the third straight season in which his numbers were virtually identical. He is also slated to earn $21 million per year for the next four seasons.
Though Sabonis has potential, he overlaps with Pacers center Myles Turner. The Lithuanian pivot was a valuable contributor for a playoff team in his rookie year, which is to be commended, but he still only averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting under 40 percent from the field.
Neither player comes close to replicating George's talents, or even those of Kevin Love, whom the Pacers reportedly rejected in a trade offer from Cavaliers.
Thunder: A
Russell Westbrook pieced together a memorable season in the wake of Kevin Durant's departure, but it became abundantly clear that OKC was imperfect.
Adding George to the mix, even for only one season, represents a massive upgrade. Westbrook will no longer have to carry all of the shot-creation duties, and George is an elite shooter who can thrive away from the ball off Westbrook's passes.
Aligning two stars also clears the way for OKC to chase a third piece in free agency. Could Rudy Gay be talked into signing for a chance to play with Westbrook and George? It's an easier sell than playing with Oladipo and Sabonis, that's for sure.