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As Paul George returns to Indiana tonight for the first time since he was traded by the Pacers, who should be happier with how things have turned out: Pacers fans, or Paul George?

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* Tonight on ESPN: Thunder vs. Pacers (7 ET)

David Aldridge: Uh, Pacers fans. This isn’t close right now, is it? PG-13 is miserable in OKC, which inexplicably hasn’t been able to figure out how to win regularly yet with three All-Stars, each of whom should be considerably motivated to make it work with the other two guys. George may well have the last laugh if he walks to the Lakers next June, as most still suspect will happen. They have a young core that’s promising, and he’ll be back home. But Indy isn’t a laughingstock, as I and most people thought it would be. Victor Oladipo (One DeMatha!) is having an All-Star season, and Domantas Sabonis looks like a 10-year guy at the the four. I was wrong about how bad the Pacers would be. Way wrong. Loud wrong. Stupid wrong. For now. Let’s see where we are in March.

Steve Aschburner: Paul George should be happier, even in the muck of the Thunder’s season so far. He’s on his way to what he really wants, which is a key role for the Los Angeles Lakers. Once his perfectly legitimate ambition became publicly known, his days as the Pacers’ best player and leader were over. So much so that I wrote at the time, the best move for all considered — for George, for the Lakers, for the NBA — would have been for Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to have done a deal in the summer. It’s not healthy for the league to have a star and a team pining away for each other from afar. But Indiana’s Kevin Pritchard pulled the trigger on the trade with OKC and that was OK. More than OK, given the play so far of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. But let’s not forget the fine years of service George gave to the folks in Indianapolis, and his desire to please extended to sometimes being too candid in interviews. It’s just too bad his journey home to California has to be a two-step process.

Shaun Powell: The longer I watch the Thunder, I’m not sure what Paul George can be happy about. And of course, Pacers fans are elated with their team in the playoff mix (OK, it’s early) and actually looking entertaining some nights. Victor Oladipo has turned out better than expected and has the floor to do what he wants, now that he doesn’t answer to Russell Westbrook anymore. We should wait until summer to check the happy-meter of George, who could be moving on to another place in search of joy.

John Schuhmann: I won’t pretend to know how George feels. Maybe the Thunder’s struggles, if they continue, will make it easier for him to choose a new team next summer. But he can’t be happy with the results or the lack of chemistry in Oklahoma City. Pacers fans should surely be happy with how things have turned out. The Pacers have been a better team than the Thunder, Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis (who were both clearly misused in OKC) have been terrific, there’s more stability in Indiana, and there’s still room for improvement. Myles Turner isn’t yet the player he can be and Glenn Robinson III hasn’t played all season. Of the 16 teams in playoff position, the Pacers are the biggest surprise.

Sekou Smith: With the way Victor Oladipo is playing, Pacers fans have every reason to feel like happy heading into the Christmas holiday. The trade that looked so lopsided early in the summer looks like a smashing success for Kevin Pritchard and the rest of the franchise braintrust. It’s not just Oladipo playing like an All-Star, though that’s a huge part of it. It’s Domantas Sabonis playing as solid as he has and the splendid chemistry this group has shown in coach Nate McMillan’s second season at the helm. The Thunder haven’t had an easy time transitioning George and Carmelo Anthony into a cohesive Big Three. But I’d caution Pacers fans to refrain from gloating too much tonight. There is still plenty of time left in this season. Be careful of celebrating prematurely. If the Pacers make the playoffs and Oladipo continues on his current trajectory, there will be plenty of time to rub in the faces of everyone who doubted things would turn out well in Indianapolis.

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