Paul George was the Key to get Both the Pacers and Thunder to the NBA Finals

By: Payton Mitchell

The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder journeys to the 2025 NBA Finals both started with blockbuster trades.

In 2017, Indiana traded its star guard, Paul George to Oklahoma City. In return the Pacers obtained Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. 

Pacers

Indiana performed well with its newly acquired players. In the 3 full years with Sabonis and Oladipo the Pacers reached the playoffs each year, but exited in the first round.

Oladipo suffered a leg injury in 2019 which reduced his effectiveness. In January 2021 the Pacers front office decided it was time for a change.

Indiana sent Oladipo to the Houston Rockets in a multi-team trade. The Pacers received Caris Lavert and 2 Second Round Picks.

In 2022, the Pacers made multiple trades that led them to the 2025 NBA Finals.

On February 7th, Indiana traded Caris Lavert and a Second Round Pick to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, a First Round Pick, and 2 Second Round Picks.

On February 8th the Pacers acquired their new superstar, Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana sent Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a Second Round Pick to Sacramento. The Pacers also received Buddy Heild and Tristan Thompson, who are no longer with the team. 

Things started slow for Indiana, missing the playoffs in the first year of the Haliburton Era. 

In 2024, the Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years.

The 2024-2025 campaign started off slow for the Pacers. Indiana was 2 games under .500 at Christmas. After a 6 game win streak to start the new year, the Pacers found themselves back in the playoff picture.

Halliburton has led Indiana in the Playoffs, averaging 18.4 points per game and knocking down 4 buzzer beaters. 

Now, with Haliburton at the helm, the Pacers are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, facing the very team they traded their star to.

Thunder

After acquiring Paul George in a blockbuster trade, Oklahoma City made the playoffs three straight years but fell in the first round each time. With a championship out of reach, the Thunder front office chose to rebuild.

In July 2019, OKC sent Paul George to the Clippers and got a haul in return. Los Angeles sent young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four First Round Picks(21,22,24,and 26), and two Pick Swaps (24 and 25) to the Thunder . 

After one year in the Thunder organization, Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as one of the league’s next great players. 

In 2022, OKC used a First Round Pick from the George trade, to draft Jalen Williams. Over the last 2 seasons Williams has averaged 20.3 points per game.

The Thunder returned to the playoffs in 2024 for the first time since 2020 as the 1 seed. A second round exit left OKC wanting more.

In 2025, SGA was named League MVP, and led the Thunder back to the Playoffs as the 1 seed. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams led OKC to the Finals for the first time since 2012.

Now facing the team that gave them the piece to reshape their roster, the Thunder are chasing their first NBA championship in franchise history.

Game 3

After splitting Games 1 and 2, the series now heads to Indiana.

Pacers-Thunder, Game 3, 7:30 PM EST on 730 The Game ESPN Charlotte.