In the summer of 2019, the LA Clippers found themselves backed into a corner. Kawhi Leonard, fresh off a championship run, reportedly made it clear that he wanted to join the Clippers only if they acquired Paul George as his co-star. With the franchise on the brink of landing a generational talent, LA felt compelled to meet his demands.
That pressure led them to strike a blockbuster deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. LA sent away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an ascending young guard with sky-high potential from Kentucky, along with a massive haul of draft picks. What looked on the surface like Oklahoma City shifting into a rebuild was, from the Clippers’ standpoint, the steep price required to secure Kawhi and chase a championship window.
Six years later, the results speak for themselves. Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into an MVP and champion, and the Thunder are still cashing in on the haul from that deal. Their young core is loaded with talent; it's not even fair at this point. Meanwhile, Paul George is long gone from LA.
Moreover, the Thunder are 17-1 to start the season with a historic net rating. They're the defending NBA champions, and they've done all this without even having Jalen Williams available due to injury.
The Thunder have turned into one of the biggest juggernauts we've seen and placed themselves on pace for one of the greatest regular seasons in NBA history.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are 5-13. They're not just a mess, they're a catastrophe. Leonard was hurt, Bradley Beal is done for the season, and James Harden is exhausted. Thus, the oldest roster in the league is acting its age.
Additionally, the trade of Norman Powell for John Collins looked good on paper, but in reality, it's been underwhelming. Now they're in free fall, and oh yeah, they're currently positioned to send a lottery pick to Oklahoma City.
The Clippers' draft pick is the final piece Oklahoma City needs
Here's where it gets terrifying for the rest of the NBA: the LA Clippers owe the Oklahoma City Thunder their unprotected 2026 first-round pick, and it's currently slotted at the 8th overall selection. If LA continues to spiral at their current pace, that pick could climb even higher into the lottery. The Thunder are essentially getting a guaranteed top-10 asset just for the Clippers' incompetence. And if Oklahoma City lands a prospect like Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, or Darryn Peterson? It's over for the entire league. The Thunder would make the NBA unwatchable.
Imagine the nightmare scenario: the Thunder go back-to-back and then add a top-3 prospect like Boozer, Dybantsa, or Peterson to a roster that already features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. That's not just a contender, that's potentially one of the best teams we've ever seen.
The Thunder have even proven they can draft brilliantly regardless of draft position. Ajay Mitchell was selected 38th overall in 2024 and is currently racking up starts for the reigning champs. Jaylin Williams was scooped up at No. 34 in 2022. Chris Youngblood went undrafted and has already earned more minutes than some lottery picks. The one thing that is for sure is that Sam Presti's front office can mine gems. Even the current 8th overall pick for them would be a homerun in this deep-loaded upcoming draft.
Paul George is the gift that keeps on giving
The irony is delicious: Paul George, the player the LA Clippers traded for to build a championship team, is inadvertently helping the Oklahoma City Thunder build a dynasty. George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2024, and not long ago, he helped the 76ers beat the Clippers 110-108, pushing LA even further down the standings and the Thunder's lottery pick even higher up the draft order.
The infamous trade in 2019 has to go down as one of the worst or greatest trades of all time, depending on how you look at it. The Clippers were supposed to get a superstar wing coming off a top three MVP finish to pair with the finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard. Instead, they've remained perpetually injured, perpetually disappointing, and perpetually enriching the Thunder's future.
The Thunder's future will be built from the Clippers' tragedies
The broader implications are staggering. The Oklahoma City Thunder don't control just the LA Clippers' pick; they also somehow own selections from Houston, Utah, Philadelphia, Denver, and multiple swap rights through 2028. Oklahoma City could legitimately add a top prospect to its already loaded roster.
The Thunder have the talent to contend for a championship for the next 10 years and are only trying to get better. Combined with cost-controlled prospects and their ability to already retain stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City could become the most dominant organization in basketball. The Clippers, meanwhile, will be trapped with older aging contracts, and the future looks bleak. They don't have the firepower to compete right now, and they don't have the draft capital to acquire new players through trade.
The question now is whether the Clippers wave the white flag and accept this mediocre unit for the season, or if they make a desperate early-season trade to acquire another star. But with limited draft picks to offer and salaries that nobody wants, they're stuck. Nobody's taking their salary dump for legitimate value. This team is fundamentally broken, and there's no quick fix.
The greatest tragedy? The Clippers had chances to prevent this. If they'd kept Norman Powell instead of trading for Collins, drafted better, and assembled a cohesive roster around Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, none of this would be happening. Instead, they're handing the Thunder a potential dynasty with every loss.