Purple and gold clad fans were left greener than cucumber skin (Biggie baby!) this weekend. And this time it wasn’t because of the Celtics.
It was because the Indiana Pacers deemed P.G.-13 unsuitable for L.A.L. and sent him to O.K.C.
O.K…got that?!
The NBA is crazy. Especially in the second season of free agency. At least Iggy will still be dubbed a Warrior in a time of year that’s already loud with moves like Ricky Rubio being traded to the Jazz before signings can even officially begin.
Indiana could have kept Pace with two draft pick from the Lakers for their future and more importantly Frankenstein monster in the making and mold of Draymond Green with the young Julius Randle. But instead after fielding calls from everyone from the Boston Celtics to the King LeBron James, the Pacers sent George to Oklahoma before losing him to free agency this time next year which would have been as certain as death and taxes.
In return they got speedy guard Victor Oladipo and son of an NBA great Domantas Sabonis two potentially powerful players with more upside than oops and your head. O.K.C. may lose one of the most dynamite dynamic and best back-courts in the L with the loss of Oladipo but they are more than good with their latest acquisition. The dynamic duo of Paul George and Russell Westbrook will remind the brotherhood of Nike and Jordan of M.J. and Scottie and will stop the Thunder from talking about Kevin. This may just be the perfect partnership of dual soldiers that can go to battle with the Warriors of Durant and Steph Curry.
And they get to keep Steven Adams too.
But where does this leave Magic’s Lakerland and all the cap space they cleared with D’Angelo Russell for what seemed like next Summers Spider-Man like homecoming for George? Well it seems like exactly the same place or an even better one. Looks like Lonzo will have even more Lakers to pass his ball too. As according to rumors, Paul’s friends and what George told potential trade options just weeks ago he still plans to come home to gold next Summer under the California sun. And now the Lakers don’t have to give up anything like picks, or worse former ones like Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson to get him. Because they will regret losing talent like D’Angelo Russell and will want to keep all their young core from Brandon Ingram to Larry Nance Jr. Also with rumors circulating that MVP, Russell Westbrook is leaving a contract extension from Oklahoma on the Thunder table until he becomes a free agent next year there’s a gold glimmer of hope to those with Laker purple hearts that this U.C.L.A. alumni may come home with George like Ball too.
You know we’re going to say it…’Why Not’?
One L.A. born star, one U.C.L.A. grad MVP. Building an association of chemistry for a calendar. It all seems to good to be true. And right now it is and should be treated as such as this speculation is somewhat unfair to O.K.C. after all they went through with K.D. Even if basketball is a business, sport speaking for the true purists the Thunder are going to reign this season and after this year it could be too true to lose. Re-sign or resign.
In other transactional news out of L.A. the Lakers cleared more of the decks by waiving the Boom Boom of big-man Tarik Black (why?). Whilst across the lockers in Clipper nation the L.A. Clips kept their big-men as Blake Griffin re-upped like DeAndre Jordan following what looked like the L.A. dynasty to be killing Chris Paul trade with most of Houston. They did lose one of their wings though, as hot shooter J.J. Reddick announced he was off to see what’s at stake in Philly, simply tweeting “Trust The Process”.
You know what it is! But what’s this? Just when you thought it was safe to put your umbrella down in Oklahoma, in a new super-team age and social media world on unofficial, big announcements, Thunder star Enes Kanter just posted a photo of Russell Westbrook’s locker and next to it was one with the name Rudy Gay.
Looks like Happy Days for O.K.
See!
