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.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers prepare to square off in the 2025 NBA Finals, they could make like a pair of divorced parents and share that honor with Paul George. In Game 1, he could be courtside at OKC.

As a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player, George has clearly had one of the better careers of his generation. But for all his individual accomplishments, the Philadelphia 76ers forward hasn't been all that close to the NBA Finals in over a decade. That hasn't come from a lack of trying in dictating where he's played.