NBA Trade Rumors: Should the Oklahoma City Thunder Consider Moving Paul George Ahead of the Deadline?
Team currently sporting a record under .500 for the season
Earlier this year, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off an absolute stunner, as they managed to acquire All-Star swingman Paul George in an offseason trade with the Indiana Pacers.
The move was widely lauded at the time, and it was viewed as the start of great things to come for the team.
However, at nearly a third of the way through the current season, things have not exactly gone as planned for the Thunder.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The team currently has a record under .500 for the season, and while they are in the thick of a playoff race, they are battling right now for the eighth and final spot as opposed to one of the higher seeds, as many analysts predicted would be the case heading into the year.
Unsurprisingly, the Thunder's early struggles have prompted speculations from fans and analysts alike that the time for a change may be here, with the latest rumblings hinting that perhaps the team should consider trading away the aforementioned George and turn their attention to the future.
The case for the Thunder trading George sooner rather than later is simple. With the way they are playing right now, the Thunder are unlikely to seriously contend for a title.
George is still putting up good numbers – over 20 points per game with a tidy effective field goal percentage to go along with substantial rebounding and passing averages as well as plenty of steals as seen in Basketball Reference – and contenders may give up real assets for him.
Recently, NBA insider Chris Broussard also shared that George had previously expressed interest in joining the Cleveland Cavaliers to play with LeBron James, which means there may even be a trading partner the Thunder can go to now if they want to make a deal.
So, should the Thunder seriously consider making a call to the Cavaliers now?
Though the Thunder's record is underwhelming, their positive point differential does indicate that they are a better team than what their wins and losses suggest.
George and teammate Russell Westbrook are also two of the best players in the entire league, and if they ever figure out how to play well together, they can become an unstoppable duo.
The Thunder's upside with George is still pretty high. They are not a contender right now, but they can be, and it is unlikely they will be able to acquire a player who is George's equal from the Cavaliers anyway.
Frustrating as these recent struggles may be, the best course of action for the Thunder may still be to continue grinding out these games and hope that sometime soon, their players will click and live up to all the preseason hype.
More news about the latest NBA rumors should be made available soon.
