The Trade

"It couldn't have come at a worse time. If we would have known this a few months ago, I think we could have been more prepared. Becoming public was a big issue. We want our players to want to be here, that's important. It really is. When Paul said he didn't, that's a gut punch." - Kevin Pritchard

"A gut punch". Delivered by one of the NBA's brightest stars. To his own team. When SF Paul George announced to the public that he would no be resigning with the Indiana Pacers his value collapsed like a fat man on a 100-degree day. Teams knew that George was a simple rental, only one year left before he could hit the open market. The Pacers were going nowhere fast, so potential suitors held all the cards in negotiations. Too low of an asking price? Fine, we will just let him rot on your putrid roster another year and sign him in the off season. "A gut punch". All George had to do was be discreet about his plans. Other teams would assume extension talks were still on the table and would offer more in return for his services. The Pacers would be able to rebuild. It was not to be. "A gut punch".

Then June 30th, 2017 came. Only a week after Pritchard released the above statement about the precarious situation George had put the team into, he was gone. Paul George had been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for SG Victor Oladipo and C Domontas Sabonis. Pacers fans went into a tailspin, and so did the media. In an article in Sports Illustrated, the trade was graded for both teams. OKC got an A-. Indiana got a D. SI, and most of the NBA world, saw Oladipo as an overpaid sidekick that couldn't truly click with Russell Westbrook on the Thunder. While both he and Sabonis were young, 25 and 21 respectively, the untapped potential was simply not worth the loss of George.

"A gut punch" said Kevin Pritchard, a man whose job now teetered in limbo as Indiana fans geared up for a disappointing 2018.

Oladipo's Pacers Shock the Association

What happened next was truly shocking. Victor Oladipo became a superstar. He averaged over 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists during the regular season, guiding his newfound Pacers to a playoff birth. A team that was previously thought to be jockeying for lottery position at the very bottom of the NBA had instead found itself facing the Cleveland Cavaliers as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Oladipo and the Pacers gave Lebron James and the Cavs all they could handle, going seven games before finally falling to the greatness of Lebron. Yet for a team with preseason expectations like the Pacers had, this was magical. Victor Oladipo went on to win Most Improved Player in the entire NBA. The future is bright again in Indiana with draft picks incoming and money to spend in free agency. A fan connected only to Indy could almost forget about Paul George. Almost.

Return of the SF (Sith Forward)

With the off-season upon us the first step is to follow the different contract options. Many contracts will have either a Player or a Team option for an additional year. One such option was connected to Indiana guard Lance Stephenson. Lance is a crowd favorite, infamous for causing Lebron all kinds of inconvenience including blowing in his ears for some inexplicable reason. However, the 27-year old averaged only 9.2 PPG this year and his antics can cause costly turnovers. In an NBA where players like Lance are a dime a dozen the Pacers decided to save the $4+ million and decline the option. Now here's the important part. The Pacers have said they will look into resigning Stephenson after considering all other options. But, Paul George was mad. So George went on Instagram to lament the decision, questioning "...and I was the bad guy". Yes Paul, you are still the bad guy. You almost destroyed the organization that you had spent the entirety of your NBA career with before jumping ship. It would've been ok to leave, but by announcing it from the mountaintops you nearly ruined the Indiana Pacers franchise for the foreseeable future. Then Kevin Pritchard worked some magic, Victor Oladipo went from the Magic to the Thunder and now on the Pacers is a certified wizard (not from Washington), and a young core looks poised to take the step into NBA stardom. Still, Paul George decides it is his job to tell the Pacers what a travesty they are by letting "Pacers legend" Lance Stephenson go. Regardless of the validity of this statement (I would argue there is very little) it is undeniably NOT in Paul George's rights to criticize the team he so disgracefully left. Sorry PG, you're still the bad guy here. Have fun in LA, OKC, or wherever you end up. Just pray that you don't see yourself as the only thing between Vic Oladipo and a basketball hoop anytime soon.