It was a record-breaking deal. After leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2025 NBA Championship, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became a very wealthy man. The Thunder rewarded him with a historic contract following a season unlike almost any in NBA history.
Gilgeous-Alexander won the regular season MVP, Conference Finals MVP, and NBA Finals MVP, and led the league in scoring. The only other players to accomplish that in a single season are Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
His new deal averages $71.25 million per year, the highest annual salary in NBA history, and runs through the 2030-31 season.
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ESPN senior insider Shams Charania reacted to the news on Tuesday afternoon during ESPN’s NBA Free Agency special:
On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder reaching a record $285 million supermax contract for ESPN's NBA Free Agency special: pic.twitter.com/87LA24KbmP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
Charnia added:
"That makes him the highest paid player in NBA history. He got every penny of that supermax contract."
The insider went on to talk about this major deal:
"This extension was SGA's extension, and he got every bell and whistle in this agreement."
This contract keeps Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City through the 2030-31 season. He will be 33 years old when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Thunder are clearly building around their superstar for the long haul. With young talent like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams around him, Oklahoma City may be entering its next great era of championship contention.
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