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When Paul George spurned the Los Angeles Lakers to sign a four-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer, it seemed as though he was committing to a partnership with Russell Westbrook that both hoped would yield a championship.
But after the Thunder were bounced in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season, George saw an opportunity to go back home. Just one year into his new contract, George was on his way to Los Angeles in a stunning move that netted the Thunder a record amount of draft picks.
Though fans around the league did not know it at the time, George had been communicating with Kawhi Leonard in an effort to team up.
And even though Westbrook had likely hoped to run it back with George, Royce Young said on ESPN's “Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective” podcast that Westbrook was not trying to dissuade George from trying to secure a move to Los Angeles (Transcript):
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“Russell Westbrook didn’t try to change Paul George’s mind. That’s 100 percent assured in my mind, that Russell Westbrook didn’t try to re-recruit Paul George. And a lot of that had to do with the fact it was Russell Westbrook’s ticket out of town, as well.”
There was actually a chance that both Westbrook and George would still end up playing together, as the Thunder had inquired on a deal that would send the two superstars to the Toronto Raptors. Ultimately, however, the Raptors were unwilling to part with emerging star Pascal Siakam.
Instead, Westbrook–now a member of the Houston Rockets–and George will do battle in a loaded Western Conference.
