The Pacers agreed to trade George to the Thunder on June 30, 2017. In return, Indiana netted Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. While Oladipo was dealt in a four-team deal in 2021, the 2022 deal that sent Sabonis to the Kings marked the beginning of Haliburton's tenure in Indiana.

The Paul George Invitational, also known as the 2025 NBA Finals, is set. The Thunder and Pacers chartered unique courses in becoming unlikely NBA Finals foes.

As it turns out, all you needed to do to reach the 2025 NBA Finals was trade Paul George. Remarkably, this year's Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers and Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder were both built from assets each team received in exchange for dealing George.