Heading into the NBA offseason, one of the biggest storylines involved Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George and whether or not he'd be traded before the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

Rumors had him linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and a couple of other teams, but in a move that surprised everyone, he was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

Now he'll team up with MVP Russell Westbrook, which is something he never would have even considered as a possibility before this offseason.

As he was introduced as a new member of the Thunder, though, George admitted he was surprised to be in Oklahoma City, as he heard rumors that several other teams were interested in him (via WEEI.com):

“It was just surprising this team wasn't one of the teams that was - that we had in mind,” George admitted at his Thunder introductory press conference. “We thought - I thought I was going to like four or five other teams that were pretty active in the trade, and when I found out it was OKC, I was quite surprised, but at the same time, I was happy about the trade. I was thrilled. I was looking forward to it. You know, all I wanted was a chance and an opportunity to play for something special, and to ultimately try to win a championship. I think I get that here playing alongside Russ [Westbrook].”

Watching PG-13 and Westbrook on the same court will be exciting for Thunder fans and NBA fans in general this fall, but whether the star combo can power OKC past the Golden State Warriors or not remains to be seen.

Still, after watching Westbrook put up insane numbers last year, only to fall to James Harden and the Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, the Thunder couldn't sit idly by and hope for different results this upcoming season.

Therefore, even though George is unlikely to re-sign with OKC after the 2017-18 season, it made sense for the Thunder to make the trade and take their chances. With Westbrook in the middle of his prime, the time is now for OKC to compete for a title.

If the Thunder don't make a deep playoff run, though, George is likely to become a free agent next offseason, in which case all the rumors surrounding him this summer will return once again.