Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned his incredible 2024-25 season into a historic NBA contract on Tuesday.
Per ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the reigning league MVP and 2025 NBA champion agreed to a four-year, $285 million extension, worth a record $71.25 million annually.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s contract was initially set to expire following the 2026-27 season, but the extension will keep him in Oklahoma City through 2030-31.
As much as he deserved the historic pay bump, it could lead to some difficult decisions in the next two seasons.
Small forward Jalen Williams and center-forward Chet Holmgren are extension-eligible this offseason and set to become restricted free agents in 2026. Re-signing both could push the Thunder into the second apron down the line, which would limit their ability to improve the roster as the rest of the NBA plays catch-up.
Oklahoma City has a bevy of future draft picks, which could become valuable as it manages Gilgeous-Alexander’s escalating contract. Those cost-controlled selections will give the Thunder possibilities as they decide what to do with 2026-27 team options for players, including center Isaiah Hartenstein, shooting guard Luguentz Dort and point guard Cason Wallace, worth a combined $54.1 million. (h/t Spotrac)
It would make sense for the Thunder to retain their championship core at any cost, but it will be interesting to see how the front office navigates the negative effects of potentially entering the second apron while playing in a smaller market.
This offseason, the Boston Celtics, who play in a much larger market, were forced to shed the salaries of point guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis to get below the second apron.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s supermax extension allows the Thunder to build around their MVP, who averaged 32.7 points per game in 2024-25, for the foreseeable future. The biggest question for Oklahoma City is who will be along for the ride.
