Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder Reach Four-Year, $285M Super Max Extension

Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder have reached a four-year, $285 million super max contract extension, sources informed ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Now Has Richest Annual Salary

Gilgeous-Alexander, who turns 27 on July 12, now has the richest annual salary for a player in NBA history. He has now signed two contract extensions as a member of the Thunder, per Charania.

According to Spotrac, Gilgeous-Alexander had just completed the third season of a five-year, $179.3 million rookie max extension. His previous deal ran through the 2026-27 season.

SGA was selected 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 draft out of the University of Kentucky. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for the pick after him, which ended up being Miles Bridges.

During the 2019 offseason, the Clippers traded Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks to the Thunder for Paul George.

Gilgeous-Alexander Averaged Career-High Numbers In 2024-25

In 76 games (all starts) with OKC this past season, SGA averaged career highs of 32.7 points and 6.4 assists to go with 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 34.2 minutes per contest while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from deep.

Per Basketball Reference, Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in points (2,484), points per game, field goals (860), field goal attempts (1,656), free throws (601), free throws per game (7.9), and defensive win shares (4.8).

In Oklahoma City’s 123-114 win over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 22, he recorded a career-high 54 points on 17-of-35 (48.6%) shooting from the floor, 3-of-10 (30%) from beyond the arc, and 17-of-18 (94.4%) at the foul line.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 games in the 2024-25 regular season with 30 or more points without multiple turnovers, tying a record he set last year.

No other player in the NBA had more than eight such games last season.

SGA Won MVP, Finals MVP This Past Season

Gilgeous-Alexander, who also averaged 30.3 points in the NBA Finals, joined an exclusive list of players to win the MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.

The only others to accomplish that feat are Michael Jordan (four times), LeBron James (twice), Larry Bird (twice), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Willis Reed.

In addition, Gilgeous-Alexander also became the first player to win a scoring title and NBA championship in the same season since O’Neal in 2000. The only others to have done that are Jordan (six times), Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan (twice), and Joe Fulks.

SGA Joined Three NBA Legends

The only players other than Gilgeous-Alexander to accomplish the triple crown of scoring champion, MVP and NBA champion in the same season are Jordan (four times), O’Neal, and Abdul-Jabbar.

In Oklahoma City’s 124-94 series-clinching home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, he became one of three players to record 30-plus points and 5-plus assists at least 10 times in a single postseason.

SGA joined James (2015, 2017, 2018) and Jordan (1989, 1990, 1992).