When the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired All-Star forward Paul George from the Indiana Pacers last summer, it was believed that he was destined to join the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. However, the team was able to make a big enough impression on him to convince him to re-sign with the franchise on a four-year, $136.9 million contract.
According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, the move to retain George on a lucrative deal exemplified to him that the team wasn't completely certain that James Harden could be a long-term fit with the franchise in their lackluster attempt to retain years ago.
It was a porous move by the Thunder at the time that may have shifted a potential powerhouse in the league with their three emerging stars in Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant. In many ways, Harden's presence could have potentially allowed for them to keep the core group together in what could have become the league's next top team.
Harden had already shown much promise as he had claimed the Sixth Man of the Year award and shown to be a highly-talented offensive player that could provide a huge scoring punch. Instead, the team decided to not budge on offering him the max extension that led to him being dealt to the Houston Rockets where he has flourished into one of the NBA's best players and scorers that is coming off earning his NBA MVP award.
This is a move that still haunts the Thunder to some degree, but the ability to retain George could be a tremendous step in the right direction for the team's future with their two All-Stars leading the charge.
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