A deal was coming. It was inevitable after the year Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just put forward in the 2024-25 season. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder left no stone unturned, giving their MVP a record-breaking contract extension worth $285 million.
For the Thunder, it locks up their superstar for the foreseeable future and the bulk of his prime with the team, while Gilgeous-Alexander gets the massive supermax extension that pays him equivalent to his status as one of the best players in the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Rewarded Handsomely for Historic Season
As a result of the Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s historic playoff run, general manager Sam Presti was ready to pay his man handsomely. Shams Charania broke down the news of the extension that made SGA the highest-paid player in the NBA.
“BREAKING: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million super maximum contract extension with the championship Oklahoma City Thunder through 2030-31, sources tell ESPN. This is now the richest annual salary for a player in league history.”
BREAKING: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million super maximum contract extension with the championship Oklahoma City Thunder through 2030-31, sources tell ESPN. This is now the richest annual salary for a player in league history. pic.twitter.com/eptbVjUo6j
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
It wasn’t just his exploits through the playoffs that made the season from the three-time All-Star so special. During the regular season, as Oklahoma City won 68 games, he was the brainchild of their entire operation.
Suiting up for 76 games, he put up averages of 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks, while shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point territory, and 89.8% from the charity stripe. He was also selected for his third All-Star game.
However, the most telling number was his points per game. Leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game, it was the highest regular season average for an eventual champion in NBA history, surpassing the mark set by Michael Jordan in 1992 (32.6).
After going into the 2024 playoffs as a one-seed, Oklahoma City did not get the result they were hoping for, as the Dallas Mavericks beat them in six games in the second round behind a masterful performance from Luka Dončić.
However, with an extremely young roster, the hope was that the Thunder would get better and return with a greater ferocity the following year. In 2025, Oklahoma delivered on that hope, and then some.
Winning 68 games in the regular season, the Thunder were among the top favorites for becoming NBA champions. And through a gruelling playoffs, they solidified that status, winning a seven-game war against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals and a five-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
Through it all, the centerpiece of their entire operation was SGA. Bringing OKC their first championship, after winning a seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, the superstar point guard averaged 29.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, while converting 87% of his free throws.
