Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Best moments of 2021 for the OKC Thunder

By Rylan Stiles

OKC Thunder guard Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates after a three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Lakers: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
OKC Thunder guard Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates after a three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Lakers: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center on October 30, 2021, in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Oklahoma City Thunder sign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a max contract extension

The NBA offseason is always wild, it is what helps the league grow into a year-round sport. Some fans love the offseason, the rumors, transactions, draft, trades, signings, ping pong balls flying, more than the actual games themselves. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been on a run of wild offseasons of late, and it does not appear to be slowing down with Sam Presti at the helm of the organization and a mountain of draft picks that have been accumulated at a historic clip and could see more coming within the next month.

Last year, the offseason started with a bummer as the OKC Thunder did not receive NBA Draft Lottery luck falling to the sixth overall pick after having a shot to pick twice within the first five selections had the ping pong balls bounced their way.

The lack of lottery luck, the rebuild, and the feeling of “what was all this losing for?” left the Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase, and the NBA world, spiraling. The Thunder were thrown in every trade package known to man this past summer, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was no exception.

If you believe come media members, the Thunder offered the sixth overall pick AND Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to only get back Cade Cunningham in return. It left some Thunder fans with a “here we go again” feeling, scorned from losing stars in the past. While that narrative is a bit overblown, the Thunder made it clear SGA is here to stay.

The second the Kentucky product was eligible, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a max contract with no opt-outs to stay with the Thunder organization. While that does not guarantee Gilgeous-Alexander will be a member of the organization until after the 2026-27 season given the age of player empowerment, it is a great start.

Getting that welcomed extension news felt like a collective sigh of relief after the NBA media would have had you believe SGA was traded six times throughout the summer.

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