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Paul George is bound to be one of the key components on a new-look Oklahoma City Thunder roster bound to change the scheme of Billy Donovan's outlook for this season. The former Indiana Pacers star was once reportedly hellbent to end up in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey by the start of 2018, but after the constant moves the organization has made in this offseason, he seems willing to give the team a chance to keep him for the long haul.
Article Continues Belowper David Aldridge of NBA.com:
Once Adrian Wojnarowski, now at ESPN, broke the story of George informing the Pacers of his intentions to go to the Lakers in 2018, the only narrative given any credence was that George was a one-year rental for the Thunder and would soon be on his way. Oklahoma City was not on the list of six teams that George was willing to be traded to before Indiana sent him to the Thunder in July. Now, according to the source, George will give Oklahoma City an audience next summer.
The source says George has been impressed by the culture of the Thunder and how meticulous general manager Sam Presti and the organization are in building the roster and the franchise. George was impressed that the front office “had the (guts),” in the source’s words, to put everything on the line in getting him, and followed it up by getting Anthony without giving up any of the team’s core group. (The Thunder showed who it thought was more important to the team by re-signing defensive hound/offensive liability Andre Roberson for $30 million over three years, while including the offensively potent but defensively sieve-like Enes Kanter in the Anthony trade.)
The Thunder management have had an MVP-like offseason, nabbing not one, but two All-Stars during this summer, along with important key pieces like Andre Roberson and Patrick Patterson, slowly modeling their scheme to the three-and-D mold the league has adapted in recent years.
Now that Russell Westbrook has signed his extension with the team, the Palmdale native could make the choice to stay if this star-studded trio proves to be effective and makes a long run in the postseason.
