The rise of the Thunder starts with trading Paul George! The Bucks don t need to be afraid of trading Antetokounmpo

In 2019, George, who was already nine-time All-Star, asked Kawhi Leonard, who joined the Los Angeles Clippers, to seize the opportunity and get future MVP Shay Gilgers-Alexander and draft picks, which have produced All-Star Jaren Williams and rookie Dylan Jones, and there will be more draft picks in the future, including this year's No. 15 and No. 24 draft picks.

The Pacers traded them out after Victor Oladipo and Dominus Sabonis, the players Indiana brought in for George. Sabonis is the core of Indiana's trade of All-Star NBA draft pick Toris Halliburton. And using Oladipo for Carris LeVere eventually gave the Pacers a pick from Andrew Nemhard and substitute Ben Shepard, who were the draft picks obtained from the Cleveland Cavaliers through the 2023 LeVere trade.

Since other NBA teams are unable to trade George at his peak, let's look at these trades and see what other teams can learn from the Pacers and Thunder trades that have brought their young squad to the Finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder Deal:

George's Oladipo and Sabonis (July 6, 2017)

George selected Gilgios Alexander, Danilo Gallinari for the Clippers, 5 first-round picks and 2 swap players (July 6, 2019)

Lesson 1: "The panic money is nothing"

This can be traced back to the Thunder's initial acquisition of George from Indiana. Oklahoma City is an unlikely destination for George, who had only one year left on his contract in the summer of 2017, and then made him an unrestricted free agent through the player option.

"If you expect Paul George or any player to have confidence in your organization, you have to prove it yourself," Presty argued.

While George and Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook did not produce the Thunder’s expected playoff results in 2018—they lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round— George re-signed that summer. This puts Oklahoma City in a good position when George finally made a request a year later.

Thunder may not consider trading George a huge risk, partly because Oklahoma City does not need to give up any options in the trade. So, the lesson is not that teams should bet on their future recklessly in order to win now. But opportunism itself can be bold.

Lesson 2: Don't be afraid to use chips

From paper, the Thunder's reward for George is ridiculous. Trading a large number of unprotected first-round picks and swaps became the norm in the following years, but it was unthinkable when the George trade happened.

Of course, Oklahoma City knew that the Clippers didn't just get George. They also used him to get Leonard, the best free agent on the market, just led the Toronto Raptors to the Finals MVP Championship a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, many NBA decision makers could have avoided going too far to completely ruin the deal. Moreover, asking for all draft picks may seem a bit greedy, as the Thunder are also getting promising Gilgios Alexander. He has not been seen as having MVP potential, but he did show his All-Star potential as a starting rookie for the Clippers at the age of 20.

But Oklahoma City is willing to leave George behind and refuses to give up on its request. Since then, the Thunder have made shrewd moves and have gained some level of luck. Gilgios Alexander proved to be a fiery star, but everything the Thunder gets in the George trade makes them a potential dynasty.

Lesson 3: The Bucks should not be afraid to trade Antetokounmpo

If Giannis Antetokounmpo asks for a trade, the Milwaukee Bucks have the best chance of encountering a similar situation. The Bucks are unlikely to offer a strong offer for Antetokounmpo, but they shouldn't be afraid to wait for the ideal package—especially if, like George, it will also send Antetokounmpo to an ideal destination, such as sending Antetokounmpo to the Rockets! Van Jordan, Green and Jabbarry Smith exchange