The OKC Thunder and star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have agreed to a contract extension that will keep SGA in Oklahoma City for five additional seasons.
As the Free Agency period opened Monday evening, the Oklahoma City Thunder earned the right to discuss a max contract extension with lead guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the clock struck 11 p.m. local time. A conversation Sam Presti has been “excited to have” all offseason.
The OKC Thunder ink SGA to a 5-year contract extension
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins a great company of DeAndre Ayton, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, and Michael Porter Jr as players teams are racing to the negotiating table to extend as soon as possible.
For SGA, the deal is a five-year extension, which kicks in following the 2021-22 NBA season, worth $172.6-million dollars.
The Thunder have locked up their cornerstone for six more NBA seasons, as Sam Presti shuts down trade speculation by calling it “manufactured.”
While it is still unclear what the OKC Thunder timeline is for competing for championships again, the goal Sam Presti has made clear over the last two offseasons, one thing is certain SGA is a building block toward that.
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The bottom line is, the Thunder have six controllable years of SGA left. Assuming they do not mind missing the playoffs this upcoming season to earn their 2022 NBA Draft pick back from the Atlanta Hawks (Lottery Protected), that leaves five years to put a title team alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Hopefully, the coming days of free agency give Thunder fans a better idea of what the timeframe is for getting back to competitive basketball in Oklahoma City.
One thing is certain, we all get to sit back and watch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continue to grow into an NBA superstar right in our backyard on and off the court.
While this deal has been reportedly agreed to, the two sides can not officially announce it until August 6th.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 23-points, six assists, nearly five rebounds per game all on an effective 50/41/80 shooting split.
While no player in NBA history has turned down their rookie-scale extension, this is still a reason for OKC Thunder fans to feel excited. Their 23-year-old rising star is locked into Oklahoma City for the start of his prime. The real challenge comes in six years, getting the Kentucky product and Toronto native is ink another pact with the Thunder.
For now, it is time for Sam Presti to drum up a plan that maximizes the next six years with their Canadian Cornerstone.