As the Golden State Warriors have surged back into legitimate playoff contention over the last month, it's not difficult to imagine how different things could have been had various scenarios played out.
It's a mixture of good management and good fortune that the Warriors are in this current position, having finally acquired the second true star they desperately wanted for over 12 months. Jimmy Butler has been brilliant for a Golden State team that is now 14-2 with him in the lineup, yet the 6x All-Star only arrived after a long period where the franchise tried but failed to land a number of alternatives.
Paul George's nightmare first year in Philly has come to an end
One of the big names the Warriors chased early last offseason was Paul George, with a 24-48 hour period prior to free agency where there was there was a legitimate possibility of the 9x All-Star heading to the Bay to join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Golden State and George were willing to pair together on a huge $200+ million extension, but the L.A. Clippers proved the road-block given they had to agree to a trade which would have seen them take back almost $50 million in salary.
The Clippers had no interest in the taking on the returning salary, meaning George had few other options but to opt out of his player option and sign a massive four-year, $211.6 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
The 34-year-old's first year with the 76ers couldn't have gone much worse, with the final full stop put on it as ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday that George will miss the remainder of the season with adductor and knee injuries.
George finishes the season having appeared in just 41 games. In those he averaged 16.2 points -- the least of any season since his second year in 2011-12 (excluding his broken leg affected season). The veteran forward shot 43% from the floor and 35.8% from beyond the arc -- underwhelming numbers by his usually high standard.
George's contract is now considered one of the worst in the league, with the Warriors having the Clippers to thank that it's not on their books. Of course, things may have worked out differently had George actually ended up with Golden State, but from afar it's easy to concede just how fortunate the franchise is that he didn't become a Warrior.