We could have blockbuster NBA Finals matchup featuring two teams built by trading away 76ers star

Right now, it’s looking like we’re headed for an Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder showdown in the NBA Finals. Both teams are up 2-0 in their respective series, and, coincidentally, both squads were built off the back of trading away Sixers star Paul George.

Shoutout to this Reddit user for making me go down this rabbit hole

Meanwhile, on Reddit.. pic.twitter.com/eXSxUv0qsN

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Rewind to 2017: Indiana shipped George to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Both players were solid but ultimately not the centerpiece Indiana needed to build around.

Oladipo gave them a jolt with his All-Star level play, only to become the trade chip that landed them Caris LeVert. That move set the stage for the Sabonis swap, which brought in Tyrese Haliburton — arguably the most important Pacers piece since Reggie Miller was raining threes. Toss in Pascal Siakam, who they grabbed by flipping other assets along the way, and you’ve got a team that went from a desperate “get something for George” deal to a legitimate NBA contender.

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Meanwhile, the Thunder didn’t sit on their hands either. They flipped George to the Clippers in 2019, launching a full-blown franchise overhaul in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as one of the league’s brightest stars, turning that trade into the kind of win that echoes across NBA history. Now the face of a team that won 68 games this season, Shai is putting up MVP-caliber numbers — proof that sometimes, losing a star can actually open more doors than it closes if you’re willing to play the long game.

The massive haul of draft picks the Thunder got back didn’t just pad Sam Presti’s treasure chest — they turned into foundational NBA pieces like Jalen Williams and Nikola Topić.

Jalen’s become a glue guy with the kind of two-way impact coaches dream about, while Topić adds another layer of versatility to a squad that’s as deep as it is young. Throw in smart veteran pickups like Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, and you’ve got a roster built on the bones of that George deal — tough, balanced, and absolutely loaded for the future. In a weird twist of NBA fate, Paul George’s departure ended up being the best thing that ever happened to the Thunder.

Paul George trades have shaped the NBA postseason landscape

These Paul George trades have completely shaped the NBA postseason landscape. In a league that’s all about getting superstars in the building, the Pacers and Thunder have clawed their way to the NBA mountaintop by moving off one.

Maybe it’s just a Paul George problem. He’s never won anything in his NBA career. Everywhere he goes, teams fall apart before trading him away and almost immediately rising back to the top. And now, the Sixers have him for at least one more season.

You’d think the Sixers could flip him and become an NBA contender in no time, but unfortunately, he has little to no value at this point in his career. And Daryl Morey? He’s obsessed with players who can’t get over the hump (i.e. James Harden, Joel Embiid, etc.).

So here we are: Philadelphia stuck with an aging star, while the teams who were smart enough to cut bait are on the verge of an NBA championship. Not great.