Both NBA Finals teams are brought to you courtesy of Paul George
Neither the Thunder nor Pacers would be in the NBA Finals without Paul George—who’s now watching from Philly. Here’s how one player’s trades created two contenders and what’s at stake for bettors, broadcasters, and NBA history.
The NBA Finals matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder hasn’t even started.
But in a bit of sweet serendipity, the series MVP could already be awarded to someone not on either squad—Paul George, currently of the Philadelphia 76ers, who both teams previously traded for players crucial to their respective championship runs.
- The Pacers traded George to the Thunder in 2017 for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Five years later, the Pacers dealt Sabonis to the Kings for a package that netted Tyrese Haliburton, a key cog who’s since become a two-time All-Star with Indiana.
- The Thunder moved George in 2019 for Danilo Gallinari, Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, five other first-round picks, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the contact-drawing, reigning NBA MVP whose name barely fits on the back of his jersey.
Regardless of which franchise takes home the trophy, however, it’ll mark a milestone victory.
Neither the Pacers or Thunder have won a championship under their current monikers, and when all’s said-and-done the NBA will have also crowned seven different champions in seven years for the first time in league history (s/o Paul George, whose name will soon appear on Pacers and Thunders uniform tags instead of “Built in China”).
Meanwhile…While it’s unclear which former team PG is rooting for in the Finals (maybe whichever promotes his podcast as a thank you), it’s clear who sportsbooks want to win—the OKC Thunder, or “BigOKCthaPlug.”
This is because the Thunder’s odds of winning were not really long enough at any point in the season to warrant a major liability for sportsbooks, while bets on Indiana carry much better odds (and bigger potential payouts). BetMGM has "a couple" of Pacers futures wagers with a chance to win six figures at 125-1 odds, with others that can win smaller amounts at 150-1 odds.
- When it comes to the Finals matchup, the Thunder are a lopsided favorite, at -700 vs. +500.
- Likely due to the larger potential payout, 92% of bets and 91% of total dollars have been wagered so far on the Pacers to win the ‘ship. And if Indiana pulls off a series victory, it would be the biggest NBA Finals upset since 2004, when the Detroit Pistons (+500) beat the LA Lakers in five games.
Looking ahead: Game 1 tips tonight at 7:30 CT, with one big question on the minds of sports execs and broadcasters—will people actually tune in to watch this smaller-market matchup?
