Russell Westbrook and Paul George are locked in long-term in Oklahoma City. (Getty Images)

You can take Paul George’s name off the NBA free-agent tracker list.

At 11:51 pm ET on June 30, about nine minutes before the official start of the July 1 NBA free agency period, an Oklahoma City Thunder fan with the Twitter handle @GabeIkard posted a video of Paul George announcing his decision to stay in Oklahoma City. “If y’all didn’t quite get it. Let me say it again. I’m here to stay,” George told fans during a summer party hosted by Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City that was also attended by team officials. If you connect the dots, it was probably the worst-kept secret in the league. Westbrook reportedly left his Hawaii vacation to fly back to Oklahoma City to host a shindig and invited his buddy PG13. It would have been one heck of a letdown if PG ended up telling everyone at the party that he was going to L.A. Fortunately for Westbrook and OKC fans, Paul George is staying and the party really got started.

You heard it here first. pic.twitter.com/jN6gBn6j1Z

— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) July 1, 2018

At 12:18 am ET, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed the announcement and reported that the All-Star forward agreed to re-sign with the small-market Thunder on a four-year, $137 million deal. The contract can’t officially be signed until the NBA’s moratorium period ends on July 6. The deal includes a player option for the fourth season.

Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $137M max contract with the Thunder, league source tells ESPN. Deal includes a player option.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018

“This is a guy who had one of the worst injuries we’ve all seen,” TNT reporter David Aldridge said of George, who suffered a broken leg in 2014 during an exhibition game for Team USA. “The opportunity for him to stay at some place who took a chance on him, knowing that his heart was probably thinking about L.A., that meant a lot to him. He felt comfortable playing with Russell Westbrook for a long time.”

George’s deal aligns with Westbrook’s five-year, $205 million megadeal that he signed last year. With both superstars locked up long-term, the Thunder are in excellent position to put forward a plan that will keep them as title contenders in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

“[OKC GM] Sam Presti and his staff, and [head coach] Bill Donovan, got him to commit to four years. You got him and Russ locked up for the remainder of their prime. And you know what nucleus you’re building. That means you can make thoughtful and mindful decisions,” former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said on NBA TV. “You’re not chasing this championship, and now what. They are in a much better team-building situation.”

The George news was a big blow to the Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers’ rebuilding plan. It was widely expected that George was going to sign with the Lakers and bring in other free agents — aka LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard — with him to L.A. That plan has been torpedoed.

Wade has publicly said on numerous occasions that he doesn’t want to leave Miami, and all signs point to a contract extension between the Heat and the 2008-09 NBA scoring champion.

“I want to be in Miami,” Wade recently told the Miami Herald.

Once the Heat were eliminated from the 2010 NBA playoffs, Wade made it clear to team president Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison that he needs more help and  a roster upgrade was necessary in order for the Heat to be able to compete for another championship.

“There’s no pressure on me. I’ve said where my heart is. You just have to see things being done and accomplished,” Wade said at a postgame news conference after the Heat lost Game 5 in Boston.

Well, apparently Wade has seen enough “things being done and accomplished” that he seems to be on the verge of re-signing with the only NBA franchise he has called home since he came to the league in 2003.

The Heat are actively pursuing Wade’s 2003 classmates in James and Bosh, and other big-name free agents, with D-Wade leading the recruiting. All three are very close friends, and they’ve all broached the subject of possibly playing on the same team to increase their chances of winning a title.

Wade already has a championship ring, but James and Bosh are thirsting for their first. James has become increasing frustrated with his playoff disappointments with the Cavaliers while Bosh has been an afterthought in Toronto. Having Wade, James and Bosh on one roster doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it definitely affords the Heat an enormous amount of star power and could challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in terms of popularity.

Bosh is the key to the whole deal. He is the third wheel in this star-studded triangle. Wade and James should get their maximum deals so that leaves Bosh with a little less than what he’s asking for.

The Heat have had their eye on Bosh since 2003, and was reportedly ready to make the former Georgia Tech standout their first-round selection until Toronto snagged him at No. 4 and the Heat “settled” for Wade at No. 5.

Miami is expected to dump 10 contracts this summer, giving the team plenty of cap space to sign two maximum contracts and possibly a third All-Star if it can somehow unload Michael Beasley’s contract to another sucker… I mean another team.

Is South Beach big enough to house LeBron and D-Wade?

“It’s funny to hear scenarios, for people to tell you that you know and you thought about it,” Wade told the Associated Press. “In New York, they kind of made me say, tried to make me say that I have thought about it or I have talked to LeBron. It’s amazing to me that people are inside my head that way. I don’t know.”

The Heat have somewhat of an advantage over other teams when it comes to dealing with this year’s free-agent drama because Riley has been through this taxing process before.

In 1996, he managed to convince Alonzo Mourning to leave the hive in Charlotte and come to South Beach and become the honorary Mayor of Miami. OK, maybe Mourning didn’t become the mayor but he at least pocketed a cool $100 million contract and the keys to the Heat franchise.

Then, in 2004, Riley pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history when he acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a first-round pick.

After bringing the Big Fella to South Beach, Riley reworked the team into a championship contender for the next two seasons, picking up veterans Gary Payton and Mourning, and trading for Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey. The final piece was Riley himself, pushing aside Stan Van Gundy and coaching the Heat to the 2006 NBA title.

Does Riley have another blockbuster move left in him?

We shall see. The only thing for sure is that Wade will be playing with another All-Star (or two) in Miami when the 2009-10 season arrives.