Fixing the OKC Situation: Trade Paul George?

Having three stars isn't helping the Thunder right now

While there's no doubt that having three or more superstars on your team can instantly turn any struggling team into a championship contender, it doesn't work that way all the time. 

A perfect example of this was when Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the Lakers a few years back. Injury and chemistry issues struck the team during that one season that they were together. Although that team made the playoffs, they were a total disappointment.

Heading into the current NBA season, many were surprised and shocked that the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to pull off two blockbuster trades that enable them to put Carmelo Anthony and Paul George alongside reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook. 

While this trio of stars is already enough to challenge the Golden State Warriors, this hasn't been the case right now as the Thunder have lost 5 of their last 10 games which put them at a 12-14 record which essentially puts them outside of the playoff picture.

Although the Thunder have a few nice games that they have won over the course of the first few months of the regular season, they aren't in sync just yet. They are trying to figure out how to play with one another. Although they are among the league's best defensive teams, Oklahoma has yet to display its full offensive power. Sure, they've already defeated Warriors earlier this season but they've also lost games to some of the league's worst teams and that's not how a super team supposed to play.

So what can the Thunder do to turn this ugly season around?

Firing Billy Donovan as head coach will not have an immediate effect on the Thunder so they can erase that option, for now. And so will trading one of the three stars. However, we all know that even last season, Paul George has already indicated that he intends to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in the future. And ye, the Indiana Pacers delt PG13 to the Thunder.

Having said that, the Thunder can trade Paul George to the Lakers in exchange for Julius Randle, Luol Deng and the Lakers' draft pick for 2020. Why Julius Randle and Luol Deng?

There have been many speculations that the Lakers are trying to move both Randle and Deng with Randle appearing to be unhappy with his decreased role. Assuming that this trade will materialize, the Lakers will gain more than what they will be losing. And, the Thunder will gain a young and promising forward and a veteran.

Conclusion

Trading Paul George who is averaging 20 points and 5 rebounds this season will be a huge gamble for Oklahoma but the truth is, they've already gambled when they assembled their own Big 3 and look where it got them. The rest of the league is laughing at them. A trade can help start turning things around for the Thunder. It doesn't have to be Paul George but it has to be one of the three stars.