When the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Paul George in a blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, they received a haul of draft assets.
George was a coup for the Clippers who had just signed Kawhi Leonard in free agency, but it can be argued that the Thunder got the better end of that deal because of all the picks they have at their disposal.
They also might have gotten the best player in the deal when everything’s said and done as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated his game to another level during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Gilgeous-Alexander has gotten better every season, but he finally started to break out last year when he nearly led the Thunder to the postseason.
This year, the Thunder are right at the top of the Western Conference standings and show no signs of slowing down.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been so impressive that Jake Fischer believes he should be on MVP ballots for the foreseeable future via Ball Don’t Lie.
“Shout out Shai. I think he is very much deserving to be a perennial top-5 MVP ballot dude until proven otherwise,” Fischer said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for NBA MVP? 👀 pic.twitter.com/3nnPchqMBm
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) January 18, 2024
Oklahoma City is nowhere near the team it is today without the growth and development of Gilgeous-Alexander.
The guard has the Thunder looking like a contender, blowing expectations out of the water given the age of their roster.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s flanked with talent like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, too, so Oklahoma City has the makings of an annual contender.
No matter happens from here on out, the Thunder can feel confident in the direction they’re going in with Gilgeous-Alexander around.
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