For years Paul George joining the Los Angeles Lakers was widely considered a foregone conclusion. Matters appeared to be coming to a head in 2017 when George requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers.
But as the Lakers refused to include Brandon Ingram in their offer, the Pacers sought out other suitors. The Oklahoma City Thunder emerged, rolling the dice on what could have been a one-year rental.
George wound up re-signing this past summer on a four-year contract, spurning the Lakers without so much as granting them a meeting in free agency. He attributed the decision to Oklahoma City being aggressive to take the chance on a trade, and also the friendships that had been developed.