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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rise from rebuild cornerstone to NBA royalty is complete. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard has agreed to a four-year, $285 million supermax extension, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
It's the richest annual salary in league history.
The deal cements Gilgeous-Alexander's future in Oklahoma City through the 2030-31 season and marks his second extension with the franchise since being acquired in the Paul George trade back in 2019.
Now 26, Gilgeous-Alexander just completed one of the most dominant individual seasons the NBA has ever seen. He led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game during the regular season, then averaged 30.3 points in the Finals. He became only the fourth player in NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal.
He also became the first player since O'Neal in 2000 to win both the scoring title and a championship in the same year.
More than just accolades, Gilgeous-Alexander's journey reflects unmatched loyalty. After being traded to a Thunder team that soon gutted its roster, he stayed patient through back-to-back losing seasons while the front office rebuilt around him. The gamble paid off.
This past season, the Thunder surged to 68 wins, and Gilgeous-Alexander powered the run with 72 straight games of 20 or more points-the fourth-longest such streak in league history. His +918 plus-minus ranked as the best since Stephen Curry's 2016-17 season.
He scored 3,172 points across the regular season and playoffs, which is the most since Jordan's 1992-93 title run.
In signing the new extension, Gilgeous-Alexander is not just securing a record-breaking payday. He's doubling down on a franchise he helped transform.
From rebuilding years to championship parades, SGA's loyalty, patience, and dominance have now reshaped the Thunder and the modern blueprint for NBA greatness.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Just Signed the Richest Annual Deal in NBA History first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 1, 2025
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