Paul George Trade: Sam Presti said 'decision' to part ways with former Thunder star isn’t ‘mutual’

Paul George is currently facing scrutiny amidst recent comments about the “mutual agreement” between him and the Thunder to trade him to the Clippers. George, being traded to the Clippers, came as a massive surprise both to the fans and NBA analysts alike since he still has a few more years left on his contract to play for the team.

But in a jaw-dropping move, the Clippers sent Paul George to the Clippers in exchange for a treasure trove of future assets including the much-coveted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And while the talented forward said that the decision was mutually agreed upon by both parties, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said that he wouldn’t use the word “mutual.”

Presti did clarify, however, that the decision wasn’t “adversarial” either, adding that he did respect how the Paul George trade went down. Now, Presti is preparing for the future of the franchise, an exciting prospect to be sure with the aforementioned haul that the Thunder acquired by sending George and Russell Westbrook to other teams.

Paul George is not a Lakers fan

“It’s going to be a different iteration of Thunder team than we’ve seen over the last several years,” Presti said. “But I would just say that we’re going to take a very long view to make sure that we’re putting ourselves in position to have a long run of success in Oklahoma City as we possibly can and not shortcut that process.” Meanwhile, Paul George is currently facing a bit of scrutiny due to his other comment where he said that he'd been a Clippers fan since he was a child.

Although the 29-year-old said that Kobe Bryant was one of his idols, he wasn’t necessarily fond with the Lakers growing up. That sparked discussion on different forums on the web, with most questioning why Paul George would be a fan of the Clippers at that era since the team was, well, not doing great. In fact, it wasn’t until Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin joined the team that the Clippers became a relevant team in the league.

Paul George trade heralds a new era for the Thunder franchise

There’s also the underlying narrative surrounding Paul George and him requesting to be traded out his team in merely three years. But as the dust is settling in, everyone is happy at the end of the day. George got to go home in the City of Angels, while Presti got his desired future draft picks with talented players on the Thunder roster already showing promise. What’s more, Chris Paul is still there, which will undoubtedly be used to acquire more picks and solidify the foundation of the Thunder’s future. With the Thunder producing stellar players in Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, it would be interesting to see what sort of superstar comes out of the organization door five years from now.