After that day, noticeably more Lakers fans began lining up at the hospital.
George, Irving, and Butler—the three All-Stars—had turned the Free Market upside down.
But their situations were similar, and there was no way results would come that quickly. They were destined to keep fans waiting long enough to end up in the hospital.
Just as fans waited for the final results, the Thunder made the first move!
They reached a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Clippers and Nuggets!
After the Clippers and Griffin agreed to a five-year, $173 million Max Contract, they sent him to his hometown team, the Thunder, in exchange for Gallinari and Doug McDermott.
The Nuggets signed Gallinari to a three-year, $65 million contract, then sent him to the Clippers for Kanter and the Thunder's 2018 First-Round Draft Pick.
The Thunder sent out Kanter, Doug McDermott, and their 2018 First-Round Draft Pick in exchange for Griffin!
The superstar with massive popularity in Oklahoma had come home!
The Thunder had formed a twin-core lineup of Westbrook and Griffin!
The news sent shockwaves through the league.
Although Westbrook had been criticized by plenty of people last season, his Triple-Double average and First Team selection were undeniable. Griffin had gone through a stretch of injuries, but he was still one of the league's top five Power Forwards. This pairing was downright explosive.
Thunder fans in particular were practically losing their minds on the spot.
Griffin's NCAA performances had been unmatched in the area, and his popularity was no lower than Westbrook's. This was truly huge.
Tang Tian was surprised when he saw the news as well.
The Clippers had already lost Paul, and now they had let Griffin go too. Of their former Big Three, only Jordan remained. They were clearly entering rebuilding mode!
Still, it was expected.