Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Historic Contract
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making headlines with a remarkable contract. The Oklahoma City Thunder star has reached a four-year agreement worth $285 million, as reported this Tuesday.
This contract averages out to an astonishing $71.25 million annually, making it the highest yearly salary for any NBA player. Quite impressive, right?
At just 26 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander had an incredible season, claiming both the MVP and Finals MVP titles. This helped Oklahoma City secure their first NBA championship. It’s notable that he is now the 11th player to win both awards in the same year. Interestingly, he’s the first since LeBron James accomplished this feat in 2013.
Moreover, he is also the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win both the NBA scoring title and a championship in the same season. When you think about it, only a handful of legends like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan, and Joe Fulks have done this.
During the 2024-25 season, he led the league in scoring, averaging 32.7 points per game, even bringing in an average of 30.3 points during the Finals.
Since joining the Thunder from the Clippers in 2019, he has truly evolved into one of the league’s standout players. Sticking with Oklahoma City through its challenging rebuild in the early 2020s seems to have paid off for him, especially as the team has gradually strengthened its roster around him in recent years.
Before this significant extension, he was under a five-year, $179 million contract with the Thunder, which will run through the 2026-27 season. It’s kind of wild when you think about how long players commit to teams these days.
Even with this substantial investment in Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder remain in a solid position to enhance their roster in the upcoming years. After strategically focusing on draft capital during their rebuild, general manager Sam Presti has positioned the team well with future assets.
Oklahoma City will not only have a first-round swap option with the Clippers in 2027 but also hold five first-round picks in the next two drafts. It’s clear that they’re looking at a bright future.
