Full Paul George Trade Return After 2026 NBA Draft Finalizes Thunder-Clippers Blockbuster

Nearly seven years to the day that Paul George was acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the full trade has finally been completed.

The final piece of the puzzle came on Tuesday night when the Thunder used the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA draft to select Michigan center Aday Mara.

With all of the picks that changed hands in the deal now settled, here is the full return Oklahoma City got in the trade:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Danilo Gallinari
• Jalen Williams (No. 12 pick in 2022 NBA draft)
• Thomas Sorber (No. 15 pick in 2025 NBA draft)
• Brooks Barnhizer (No. 44 pick in 2025 NBA draft)
• Aday Mara (No. 12 pick in 2026 NBA draft)

There is actually still one more piece in play for the Thunder, a 2027 protected first-round pick from the San Antonio Spurs. The pick was acquired during the 2025 draft when Oklahoma City traded the draft rights for Nique Clifford, who was taken with a pick that originated with the Clippers, to the Sacramento Kings.

But the Thunder's return on the deal is officially settled for a trade that was originally agreed to on July 6, 2019. The Clippers made the deal reportedly knowing Kawhi Leonard was only going to sign with them if they added George, otherwise the two-time NBA Finals MVP was prepared to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

Every part of the trade benefited the Thunder, even parts of it that don't immediately stand out. Danilo Gallinari, who was only in Oklahoma City for one season, played well in 2019-20 with 18.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 62 games to help the team make the playoffs as the No. 5 seed.

The two biggest pieces from the deal were the acquisition of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was coming off a solid rookie year with the Clippers, and the No. 12 pick in the 2022 draft that turned into Jalen Williams.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams were the two best players on the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander has won back-to-back MVP awards in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Meanwhile, the Clippers did get three All-Star seasons out of George during his five-year tenure with the organization. They only won a total of three playoff series with George and Leonard, all of which came in their first two seasons together.

Los Angeles' best season with George was in 2020-21, when it reached the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Phoenix Suns in six games. Leonard missed the final eight games of that playoff run due to a partially torn ACL.

George left the Clippers in the summer of 2024 to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Clippers went 233-157 during the five years they had George on the roster.