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Text: Athletic Storm
Sportstorm
Preface
Time flies, time flies. In the summer of 2019, the Clippers traded a jaw-dropping 9-for-1 from the Thunder for Paul George, who was in his prime at the time.
The deal shocked the league and catapulted the Clippers into championship contenders. Their goal is clear – to form a duo-core lineup with new superstar Kawhi Leonard and make a final charge for the championship.
Heaven is not as good as people. Who would have thought that the Clippers, who had high hopes, would not even be able to win a championship trophy in the end? Five years later, the Clippers have spent one of the league's best luxury taxes, only reaching the Western Conference Finals once in 2021.
What started out as an ambitious plan now seems like an expensive gamble. Today, some of the players who were used as bargaining chips and had to leave the Clippers have made a name for themselves in the league and achieved extraordinary results; Some are already in the twilight of their careers.
Their development trajectory reflects the impermanence and turbulence of a professional player's career, as well as the risks and costs of that huge transaction. Let's take a look back at the stories of these "chips" and see what happened to them today.
In that deal that shocked the league, the most striking "bargaining chip" was undoubtedly Alexander. In the 2018 draft, the skinny youngster didn't cause much of a stir, and was eventually drafted by the Hornets with the 11th pick in the first round and then traded to the Clippers.
At the time, Alexander looked mediocre, averaging only 10.8 points per game in his rookie season, clearly not meeting the Clippers' expectations. The gears of fate turned.
After being sent to the rebuilt Thunder, Alexander seems to have found his stage. His talent is gradually revealed, and his stats are steadily improving every year.
From averaging 19 points per game at the beginning to averaging 30+ points per game today, Alexander has proved his worth with practical actions. Not only did he become the core of the Thunder, but he also became one of the league's top guards.
Over the past two seasons, Alexander has had a full-blown explosion. His scoring, his organization, his defense all reached new heights.
Averaging 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game, he became the first contributor to the Thunder's ability to break out of the West. Today's Alexander is already a popular young superstar in the league, and the future is limitless.
Looking back, I wonder if Clippers management will regret putting Alexander in the chips in the first place. This once underrated youngster has now grown into a presence that can rival the league's top stars.
His upbringing is undoubtedly the biggest irony of the deal that year. Compared to Alexander's rise, other players who were used as chips were not so lucky.
Gallinari is a prime example. A well-known blue-collar player in the league, Gallinari is known for his solid three-point shooting.
In the season before he was traded, he shot 43.3 percent from three-point range and averaged 19.8 points per game, making him one of the top scorers on the Clippers. After joining the Thunder, Gallinari's career began to decline.
His age and style of play are incompatible with the Thunder's youth storm. In the following years, he moved to many teams such as the Hawks, Wizards, Pistons, and Bucks, and his stats and status continued to decline.
Now 37 years old, Gallinari has left the NBA to play for the Italian national team. He will try to lead Italy to the Paris Olympics, which may be the last romance of his career.
What happened to Gallinari reflects the impermanence of a professional footballer's career. What was once seen as the most important bargaining chip in trading has now faded into obscurity.
This makes us lament that in this fast-changing league, the value of a player can change dramatically in just a few years. In addition to Alexander and Gallinari, other draft picks included in the trade are also worth it.
For the 2021 first-round pick, the Thunder selected Trae Mann. Although he had a good debut, he didn't get much of a chance in the talent-rich Thunder.
After three seasons on the bench, Trey Mann was eventually sent to the Hornets. In contrast, the 2022 draft pick is even more valuable.
The Thunder used this pick to draft Jalen Williams. Despite coming from the little-known University of Santa Clara, Jay quickly proved his mettle.
He enjoyed regular minutes in his rookie season and was named Rookie of the Month for two consecutive months, becoming only the third player in Thunder history to receive the award. Today, Jay Wei has become Alexander's most reliable helper.
His scoring ability and performance in key moments provided the Thunder with important firepower. In last season's game against the Trail Blazers, Jayway even hit a whistle-blowing strike and showed his potential.
In the newly constructed "new three less" system of Thunder, Jiewei is undoubtedly an indispensable part. Looking back on the current experience of these players who are regarded as "chips", we can't help but feel a lot of emotion.
A seemingly simple player deal carries so much uncertainty and risk behind it. Alexander's rise makes people sigh at the twists and turns of his career development.
The Clippers never imagined that a "chip" they released casually would become one of the brightest superstars in the league today. On the other hand, the experience of other veterans highlights the uncertainty of the player's value.
Who can guarantee that the chips that were considered the most valuable in the year will not depreciate? Who could have predicted that underrated young people would soar into the sky? These are all factors that the team's management must consider when making major decisions. For any team, it is essential to be cautious when making major trades.
Weigh the risks and think long-term, rather than blindly pursuing short-term gains. After all, no one wants to find out one day in the future that they could lose the next future superstar like Alexander.
This story teaches us that in the ever-changing arena of the NBA, opportunities and risks often coexist. A seemingly insignificant "chip" can become a future superstar, while an overrated player can quickly lose value.
For the team management, how to make the right decisions in the midst of this uncertainty is an eternal challenge. At the same time, this story also shows us the impermanence of professional footballing careers.
Some players are able to seize opportunities and rise in the face of adversity; Some players may fall from the top and fade out of sight. This kind of ups and downs is the charm of professional sports.
Finally, we can't help but ask: If we were to go back in time, would the Clippers make the same decision? This question may never be answered. But what is certain is that this deal has become one of the most controversial in NBA history, and it has not only changed the fortunes of many teams, but also profoundly affected the careers of many players.
The road ahead is still full of unknowns, and we look forward to seeing more exciting career stories in these "bargaining chips" who have witnessed history. Whether it's a rising star like Alexander or a veteran like Gallinari, they're all interpreting the charm of basketball in their own way.
In this league full of opportunities and challenges, each player is writing his own unique chapter. Let's continue their development and witness more amazing basketball stories.
epilogue
I believe that in the near future, when this turmoil subsides, we will see more wonderful performances on the screen. And then, we will also become a more mature and wiser audience.
It's not easy to be original, plagiarism must be investigated!