The Oklahoma City Thunder and superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a four-year, $285 million contract extension that will make him the highest-paid player in NBA history.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s supermax extension will run through the 2030-31 season and will give him the highest annual average salary in the history of the NBA. He will earn $63.5 million in year one of the contract, $68.6 million in year two, $73.6 million in year three, and $78.7 in the final year, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Gilgeous-Alexander, a native of Toronto, Canada, signed his extension on Tuesday, which was Canada Day. His contract extension also comes less than two weeks after the reigning NBA MVP led the Thunder to winning the franchise’s first NBA championship over the Indiana Pacers in seven games. He was also named the NBA Finals MVP.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s career
SGA is currently entering year four of a five-year, $179 million contract he signed with the Thunder in August 2021. A seven-year NBA veteran, Gilgeous-Alexander is a three-time All-Star and finished second in MVP voting in 2024 and fifth in 2023.
“He’s gotten better every single year,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. “His mindset has allowed him to take these steps and also not — I don’t feel like his progress is, like, volatile. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I don’t feel like it’s built on things that can’t be repeated and built up again.
“I just think he’s got left and right brain working, and I think when you think about people that are extremely successful in what they do, they can’t operate all on one side or the other. People have to have — to me, the great people in life, business, sports, any industry, have to be able to access both sides, a creative side and then also a very objective side,” he added.
Largest contracts in the NBA
Gilgeous-Alexander’s $285 million extension is the second-largest contract total in the NBA, behind Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum at five years, $313 million. Here are the top five largest contracts in the NBA, per Spotrac:
Jayson Tatum, Celtics, five years for $313 million
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder, four years for $285.4 million
3. Jaylen Brown, Celtics, five years for $285.3 million
4. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, five years for $276 million
T-5. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons, each five years for $269 million
Gilgeous-Alexander’s new contract could be considered a bargain for the Thunder, according to Ethan Sands, Cavaliers beat reporter for Cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer.
“He could’ve waited until 2026 and become eligible for a five-year, $380 million supermax — the largest contract in NBA history,“ Sands said. ”Instead, he signed now. Why? Because he understands that dynasties aren’t built by draining the well dry. He chose timing over temptation. By doing so, he allows Oklahoma City to maintain financial flexibility, reward the teammates he’s grown with, and keep a young, dangerous core intact.
“While other franchises scramble for star power and short-term fixes, Shai is anchoring something rarer — continuity, trust, and long-term dominance. He’s not chasing a bigger bag. he’s chasing banners," he added.
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