Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will make his return to the Staples Center for the first time since his offseason trade, one that sent him alongside Danilo Gallinari and first five-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Paul George.
The second-year guard is hoping this isn't a return that will be the cause of boos, noting that “I didn’t do nothing crazy while I was here,” as he told Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register.
“I won’t take it to heart, promise you that,” he added.
Gilgeous-Alexander noted the last few days have been hectic of sorts, thinking back to how his trade suddenly unfolded six days into free agency:
Article Continues Below“It was a whirlwind,” he said after practice Sunday. “Obviously not expecting it, then once I talked to the organization, head office, and all that stuff like that, I felt really comfortable and ready for a new opportunity.
“I didn’t get much explanation. It was just, ‘It happened, sorry to let you go, but you gotta go,’” he added with a chuckle. “’All right, thank you.’”
Clippers advisor Jerry West said that losing a young talent like SGA was one of the toughest moves of his career, but one that was worth the price, considering the team would be reeling in two two-way superstars in return.
Gilgeous-Alexander will get the chance to get his “revenge” on the Clippers for making that decision, even if it's a no-brainer for most NBA executives looking for talent.