The Oklahoma City Thunder have landed a coup with the commitment of Paul George. Together with Russell Westbrook, with whom he has a special relationship, PG-13 forms an anomaly in the NBA world. However, the price for this is very high.
Last Saturday, Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook threw a big party at one of his houses on Arcadia Lake, according to ESPN. Hundreds of fans were invited, and there was also a private concert by rapper Nas. The star of the evening, however, was Paul George, at that time still Unrestricted Free Agent.
Russ brought him on stage that evening and gave him the floor. Then PG-13 explained: “If you haven’t all noticed, I’ll gladly say it again: I’m here to stay.” Yes, despite all the prophecies of doom, George signed a four-year contract with the Thunder for maximum pay.
When General Manager Sam Presti initiated a trade with the Pacers in summer 2017, which brought in his team in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis George, the deal still smelled suspiciously like a loan deal. Indiana only relinquished her star because he had long since said he would move to the Free Agency in 2018 anyway – to the Los Angeles Lakers.
For one season, the Thunders had time to dissuade George from this trade, as the deal did not change the fact that the player would experience the offseason as a free agent. And his hometown crew, the Lakers, were already rubbing their hands.
And although it didn’t go well for the newly formed Thunder – the end in the first playoff round was a disappointment – they managed to change George’s mind. “They’ve always been great to me, always open and honest. Their relationship was always authentic, everything was real. Thanks to Sam[Presti] and Russ[Westbrook] I have gained a new family in this organization,” he explained his decision at ESPN.
George admitted that he did not like it, it was a very difficult process – as well as the fact that he was disappointed not to end up at the Lakers a year ago. “I wanted to see them. But unfortunately, I haven’t been traded to the Lakers. but to Oklahoma – which was a beautiful thing for me afterwards.”
Even if it didn’t always seem that way on the field: Westbrook and George harmonize splendidly with each other. Russ was one of the main reasons for Goerg’s whereabouts: “He is one of the best people I have ever had around me.” And: “I can win with him.”
With his loyalty to the Thunder, George has in a way caused an anomaly in the Association. On the one hand, there is this team in this small market with two superstars – who both happen to come from Los Angeles and feel at home there. On the other hand, there are these Lakers, who probably offer the largest market of the NBA and traditionally advertise aggressively for free agents, especially at “Hometown Heroes”.
Russ did not make such changes possible with his contract extensions and George also resisted the glamour and smile of Magic Johnson after all. They prefer to stay in Oklahoma City – which is anything but a matter of course these days.
“This is about more than loyalty,” George said. “It’s about doing the right thing. And I feel like I have the chance here to achieve my goals and bring a championship to a place where it has never been before.”
George obviously believes in the proactive Prestis’ ability to improve this team and raise it to championship level. George’s decision to sign for the long term instead of just for two years in the popular one-plus-one format also helps. He takes the pressure off the Thunder to have to deliver within one season in fear of losing PG-13 again.
But the price the Thunders pay for George and her good starting position is very high. With Jerami Grant (3 years, 27 million dollars) and Raymond Felton (1/2.3) renewing their contracts, Carmelo Anthony’s (27.9) player option and Nerlen Noel’s (2/3.4) commitment, the owners pay horrendous amounts of salaries and luxury taxes.
According to Spotrac, $164 million in pure salaries are already due for the 2018/19 season, catapulting them into the luxury tax bracket for the fourth time in a row. By this status as a repeat offender the tax rate rises once again, according to ESPN to 150 million dollars next year. The total amount of 314 million dollars to be paid is an all-time record, not even the warriors come into these spheres.
Of course there are still some possibilities to reduce the payroll during the current offseason. Kyle Singler could be waxed and his salary stretched, role-players like Alex Abrines or Patrick Patterson could be traded and replaced cheaper in the Free Agency. A trade melos is also not excluded if there are teams that absolutely need expiring contracts and are willing to pay a salary for this over several years.
The effects would, of course, not be huge. Moreover, OKC’s financial strategy is quite surprising when one remembers that the Front Office wanted to save salary and taxes in 2012, for example, by sending James Harden to Houston with his demands.
The turnaround is understandable, however, because Presti wants to prevent at all costs that his team sinks into the meaninglessness of sport. The way out of this is traditionally difficult – so it’s better to reach deep into your pocket so as not to have to compete in the first place.
Whether OKC can become a Contender – which is the goal of George – cannot be answered yet. They are not currently, even if the team is better than the pre-season performance suggests. The injury of Andre Roberson hit her hard, for the defense he was irreplaceable. Especially together with George OKC could form one of the most crushing defences on the wing and Steven Adams is a safe anchor on top of that. Noel’s commitment can also prove to be a defensive hit when he finally concentrates on the essentials.
And who knows: Maybe the certainty that the team around Russ and George has a secure future, a new and improved dynamic, which would be bitterly necessary in the offensive – especially against the background of the Western Conference, which has become even more brutal.
Irrespective of this, one thing is already certain: With George’s whereabouts, the Thunder are among the winners of the offseason. Their high risk appetite for major deals in recent years – always in response to setbacks such as the Durant farewell – has again paid off. A small team on the map remains big.