Report: Thunder to Lock Up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander With 5-Year Max Extension

 

There were rumors making the rounds in the lead-up to the NBA Draft that the Oklahoma City Thunder were offering their young star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as part of a package to move up into the Top 3 in the Draft.  

Not only does that appear to be false, but now reports say they are about to sign SGA to a 5-year maximum contract extension.

Report: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander expected to sign 5-year max extension with Thunderhttps://t.co/sxcJU4KnVV

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) July 31, 2021

Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible for 25% of the salary cap coming off his rookie contract, which would put the value of a max extension at about $29 milliion/year to start, going up to $35 million/year by the end of the deal.

The 22-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander has rapidly improved in his 3-year NBA career, bumping up his points per game average from 10.8 PPG in his rookie season, to 19 in his second year, and up to 23.9 this past season. He also averaged 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds, while shooting at a 42% clip from behind the arc.

According to Jack Fischer of Bleacher Report, in the rumored trade discussions between the Thunder and the Detroit Pistons, "the Thunder only offered packages including present and future draft capital," none including SGA. 

OKC ended up using their own No. 6 pick to go with 6'8" playmaker Josh Giddey out of Australia, which, if he pans out, would make for a devastatingly long and skilled backcourt pairing with Gilgeous-Alexander for the future. 

Photo Credit: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN via Imagn Content Services, LLC