The Oklahoma City Thunder are no longer in contention for an NBA championship, but this postseason run was far from a failure.
If anything, it only exposed the few things they were missing to take another step forward, all while giving their youngsters their first taste of true competitiveness and postseason basketball.
On top of that, it was an incredible season for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he could reap what he sowed pretty soon.
According to a report by Bobby Marks, by being selected to the All-NBA First Team, SGA is now eligible to sign the largest contract extension in NBA history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is now eligible to sign a super max extension in the 2025 offseason.
He would be the first player to earn $80M+ in one season. pic.twitter.com/E5yHzGse3b
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 22, 2024
He could sign that super max extension during the 2025 offseason, with him making north of $65 million in the first year, $71 million in the next, $76 million in the following, and north of $81 million by the final year of his contract in 2030-31.
Shai is the first player who’s eligible to make more than $80 million in a single season, and while those numbers seem mind-blowing right now, chances are plenty of young talents are going to join him on that list pretty soon.
Should the Thunder decide to go in that direction — and there’s no reason to think they won’t — he would be accounted for roughly 35% of their salary cap in the 2027-28 season.
They would also eventually have to pay Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, but this team should be very good for years to come.
The NBA keeps making money, and with this new TV deal just around the corner, these deals are going to look like a bargain a decade from now.
NEXT: Thunder Player Got Emotional About The Season Coming To An End
