“It is easy to follow the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.” This quote is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. Currently, the subject is being brought back up pertaining to a trade from five years ago. Should the Los Angeles Clippers have traded away current MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

Trading Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: The Blockbuster Trade

In the summer of 2019, the entire NBA world was shaken up. The Clippers sent off Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and seven picks for Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Paul George. In addition, the Clippers were able to lure in free agent Kawhi Leonard, who had just come off a championship with the Toronto Raptors. Multiple reports said that it was a two-team race between the Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers for obtaining Leonard, but the “fun guy” had other plans. As the story unveiled, Leonard was for the Clippers to lose, guaranteeing privately he would come aboard on one condition, and that’s retaining a “second star.”

What Could Have Been

Gilgeous-Alexander, who is now participating in the Western Conference Finals with the Thunder, has forced fans to rethink the past. What could’ve been if the Clippers hadn’t dealt away the young, upcoming star for a current star and top 10 player? Well, the first thing is Leonard would most likely not have been a Clipper. After coming off that championship with the Raptors, Leonard could see the way the league was shaping back to dynamic duos; it was going to be a stretch for him to win without a second star.

As good as Gilgeous-Alexander has been within the last three seasons, he is a player who had to grow through his development, and that was simply not going to happen with the Clippers still competing for a championship. Not to mention, Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank won Executive of the Year in large part because of this move that was so bad. The truth is, Leonard and Gilgeous-Alexander were on two different timelines; that is where George comes in.

The Leonard-George Connection

In an interview with Rachel Nichols, many things were revealed about the two-way duo. Both have Southern California roots, attended mid-major colleges, and both came to play for the Clippers to have the opportunity to be near family. There is a strong connection here that sort of flies under the radar—how close of a relationship these two have.

Within the interview, Leonard revealed he tried to get the San Antonio Spurs to obtain George, but ultimately, he went to the Thunder. So, when the opportunity presented itself again, this time Leonard was going to do everything in his power to get the job done, even if it meant getting off Gilgeous-Alexander, who was a rookie. So, the trade was made.

The Aftermath: Clippers and Thunder Trajectories

Since that trade, much has changed for both teams. The Clippers, who were a team looking to contend for a championship, have declined. In contrast, the Thunder, who were rebuilding for a period within the last two seasons, now look like a title contender. When the Clippers agreed to do the deal to get Leonard and George aboard, the objective was to win a championship.

In the five seasons together, they held a record of 137-70, which is a 66.2% winning percentage. When comparing that to other star duos in the league with that number of games played together, that is considered “elite.” However, the Clippers were never able to reach the Finals; the closest they got to their goal was a conference finals appearance back in 2021.

In their five-year span, Leonard and George only completed one playoff run together, and that was back in the bubble. The injury bug seemed to hit at the wrong time every year. Who could’ve predicted it? What can you do? The quick answer is the Clippers shouldn’t have traded their young star to begin with, but when you look at the time Leonard and George were together, is that really a true statement?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Growth in OKC

Looking at Gilgeous-Alexander’s tenure with the Thunder, it hasn’t all been great. From 2020-2023, the Thunder didn’t make the playoffs. That same player that fans urged could’ve been Leonard’s co-star, or could do as George did—get the Clippers to their first ever conference finals without Leonard—is nonsense. The Thunder did something that many seem to miss: why they are the team you see today revolves around the multiple picks they received in the trade.

The Thunder’s Rebuild and Success

The long route that the Thunder took to be a number one seed the last two years has proven to pay off. Choosing to build their team through draft capital and young players, then relying on star power while holding deficiencies to their roster. That is the process the Thunder took to build around Gilgeous-Alexander. Like what the Golden State Warriors did: the core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green became a dynasty off the same values. Yes, they grabbed Kevin Durant for two championships, but they also beat Durant and proved they could still win two championships without him.

Comparing the Clippers and Thunder Post-Trade

In the Leonard and George era, the only season that the Thunder finished with a better record than the Clippers was the 2023-24 season. Last off season, the departure of George took a turn for the worse, where it looks like the trade was a failure. Such a question should’ve only been asked at the beginning of this season when George left. Instead, this has been a discussion in NBA circles for the last couple of seasons due to Gilgeous-Alexander’s growth.

The Clippers decided to go with the timeline of competing for a championship rather than passing up on it and risking the chance of losing Leonard entirely. The Clippers not winning their title—you can look at many things, but the biggest thing to look at is injuries and unfortunate luck, not a trade.

Conclusion: Did Both Sides Win?

After a win back in January 2024 against the Thunder, George echoed that “both sides won the trade.” When looking back on it, that seems to be more of a realistic claim. In the Leonard-George era, the Clippers were being taken seriously as a title contender when healthy. Prior to that, the Clippers went from being a laughingstock to an average team that never reached past the second round in their entire history. While they didn’t reach their goal of winning a championship, they were trending upwards, not downwards. The Thunder are reaping the harvest of their patience; it looks like they have not only found their MVP, but a young core who is ahead of their time.