The worst trade in team history! Nine for one, giving away Alexander&&Jerwei, now the team is completely struggling!

There is no doubt that if you want to ask which team is the most successful in the NBA today, it is definitely the Thunder. Not only did they have an excellent record of 68 wins and 14 losses last season, but they also won the championship in the end. What's even more frightening is that they have also accumulated a large number of high-quality draft picks and can continue to renew young blood in the future. The reason why the team can complete its rapid rise today is that one team has definitely made a "major contribution", and they are the Clippers. Back in the summer of 2019, in order to get Paul George, they directly conducted a nine-for-one super deal. As a result, George has left, and the Thunder relied on the Clippers' "funding" to successfully build the team. Let us take a look at what the Clippers gave away!

The Thunder's two top players all came from the Clippers.

First of all, let’s talk about the biggest help to the Thunder in this transaction, which is the sending of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Alexander has just finished his rookie season in the 18-19 season. Although he only averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, he has actually shown a good playing temperament. At the age of 20, his playing style is very mature. In the game, His performance is even more stable. Even if he has no obvious leadership style yet, as long as he is well cultivated, he will definitely become an All-Star in the future. After all, in the playoffs against the then five-star Warriors, he was already able to contribute 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists. But if compared with George, who had just been selected to the All-NBA First Team, there is really no comparison. It's just that the Clippers did act too hastily, and with Kawhi Leonard's request, they had no choice but to send Alexander away.

At the same time, among the draft picks given away, due to Leonard and George missing most of the games due to injuries in the 21-22 season, the Clippers failed to enter the playoffs, and eventually became the 12th pick in the first round in 2022. Using this pick, the Thunder completed a key step, which was to select Jaylen Williams.

In other words, the current top and second-choice players of the Thunder were both sent by the Clippers, and Jiewei also grew rapidly in the Thunder. Last season, he was able to contribute 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He was selected to the All-NBA Third Team, the All-Defensive Second Team and the All-Star Team, ranking among the best guards in the league. Not only that, his performance in the playoffs was also stable, and he has a big heart that is not inferior to Alexander. In the end, with the help of these two leaders, the Thunder successfully completed the turnaround and won the championship last season. What is even more eye-catching is that this combination will probably be the strongest combination in the next five years.

Many high-quality players were sent away to help the Thunder complete their reconstruction.

Of course, in addition to the two leaders mentioned above, the Thunder also used other draft picks to make some reinforcements. In addition to Alexander, they also got Danilo Gallinari. Although he only played one season with the Thunder, Gallinari was conscientious, averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He assisted Chris Paul in his perfect performance that season and helped the Thunder reach the playoffs. He can be considered a good veteran.

In addition, the team also selected Trey Mann in 2021. This guy's overall performance in the Thunder's three seasons was relatively stable. Although he was eventually sent to the Hornets due to his gradual marginalization, so far in his career, he has averaged 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He is definitely a qualified rotation player, especially at only 24 years old, he is the young blood that the Clippers lineup lacks most.

Not only that, in this transaction, there was also the loss of some draft picks, which were later cashed in. Among them, the 18th overall pick in the first round of 2023 was later acquired by the Heat and selected Jaime Harks Jr., who was already very capable. This season, Harks was reused by Coach Spoelstra in the absence of Tyler Herro, and he lived up to the team's expectations. He averaged a career-high 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, successfully helping the team withstand the pressure and firmly rank among the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Even Dillon Jones, who has lost his job and only played one year last season, is a good choice.

Fortunately, the Clippers have kept this year's first-round pick, but what's worse is that next year's first-round pick in 2026 is unprotected, and the Clippers' current record is terrible and may become a lottery pick. Given that next year is a big year for the draft, if the value of this pick continues to increase, the Clippers may also add to the Thunder's lineup. I am afraid it will be a tragic scene that all Clippers fans are not willing to see, because it will only maximize the loss value of the 2019 transaction.