Or, more specifically, what they got back when trading Paul George away. While George watches the NBA Finals from the same couch where he watched the entire playoffs (his 76ers didn’t even make the play-in), here is how both of these teams used trading George away to set up the foundation of their Finals teams.

That they’ve been the best team in the NBA since October’s opening tip. Oklahoma City had the NBA’s second-best record and net rating during the 2023-24 season, and were one of only two teams to finish in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.