Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has capped off the most memorable season in recent history by being awarded a supermax extension by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Like a superhero patrolling the skies, SGA is on cloud 9 following the historic extension. The Thunder were living up to their name this season, along with that number one seed allocation, by beating all challengers to their title dreams. Now the Thunder have cemented their plans for a dynasty thanks to the historic SGA contract and by signing Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams to new deals too.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has worked hard to reach the pinnacle of the sport
SGA started his NBA career in LA. He was selected by the Hornets in the 2018 draft before being traded immediately to the Clippers. He only spent one season in California before Thunder GM Sam Presti noticed the young Canadian’s potential and brought him to OKC in a deal that sent Paul George to the Clippers. A move that the Clippers must be pulling their hair out over now.
The biggest stars in NBA history mostly entered the league with the sporting world’s attention acutely fixed on them. Players like LeBron James, and more recently, Cooper Flagg, came into the league with huge expectations. But SGA never garnered that sort of attention. It took him several years to develop into the best player in the NBA and an unstoppable force on the court.
OKC has rewarded its franchise player with an unbelievable extension
The Thunder were unstoppable this season. They played with a grit and determination that is rarely seen in the NBA. Their impressive performances come as no shock to some, as GM Sam Presti has been working his magic for the past few years and developed a title-winning roster without breaking the bank or giving up significant draft capital along the way.
Yes, the Thunder are the NBA Champions for the first time in their history, but the way that they and more specifically SGA performed has led most in the NBA biosphere to expect more titles in their immediate future. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won several awards this season thanks to his immaculate performances, including regular season and Finals MVP, the scoring title, and even a fan favorite honor of being named a cover athlete for the 2K26 video game.
SGA will become the highest-paid athlete in American sports
To reward the Canadian star’s exploits, the Thunder have offered SGA a supermax contract extension that will make him the highest-paid athlete in American sports, once the extension comes into effect. The deal is worth a reported $285 million and will keep SGA in OKC through the 2030-31 NBA season. The contract is a record in the NBA and is the highest annual salary for any player in NBA history. Sam Presti had this to say about SGA:
“His mindset has allowed him to take these steps, and also not — I don’t feel like his progress is, like, volatile … I just think he’s got left and right brain working. 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.”
Can the Thunder do back-to-back titles in the 2025-26 season
The hope for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will be that they can carry the momentum into next season. They were unstoppable this season. The only noticeable hiccup came against the Denver Nuggets, when by their own admission, they were afraid it would all fall apart. Somehow, SGA and his teammates were able to overcome the Nuggets like a climber in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The deal cements his status as a future icon of the game amid a turbulent offseason in the NBA. Can the Thunder win the title once more in 2026? Let’s hope so.
