The OKC Thunder proved to be one of the busiest clubs in the association this summer.
After winning their first Larry O'Brien Trophy, Sam Presti and company went straight to work trying to lock down the vast majority of their championship core for the long haul.
Along the way, the Big Three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren all signed on to max extensions, while non-stars, albeit quality young talents like Ajay Mitchell and Branden Carlson, agreed to terms on new pacts with the team as well.
However, amid this spending spree, though not receiving the flair and top-billed attention that the re-upping of the core trio received, Oklahoma City seemingly managed to pull off one of the most under-the-radar signings of the entire offseason, as the contract shelled out to Jaylin Williams is being celebrated as a major win for the organization moving forward.
Jaylin Williams contract viewed as serious win for OKC Thunder
In a recent piece penned by John Hollinger of The Athletic, the Williams re-signing was tabbed as one of the five most underrated moves made this summer, and for good reason.
After opting out of the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale deal, the Thunder immediately re-signed the 23-year-old to a new three-year, $24 million contract extension.
The details of this new pact alone serves as a major strategic victory for the ball club, as it not only descends in both AAV and cap hit as the years go by, but the third year in 2027-28 is a team option, making him the 10 of OKC's 15 players to have such a stipulation in their deal.
This cap flexibility will be key to avoiding any crippling tax penalties and, more importantly, the second apron moving forward.
Of course, from a rotational standpoint, locking down Williams should also bring coach Mark Daigneault some serious relief, as it cements a level of depth and protection against injuries and unexpected future absences as the ball club looks to become the league's next great dynasty.
With the troubling injury history of Holmgren and the unfortunate ACL tear of rookie Thomas Sorber, having an abundance of "rotation-caliber" centers, as Hollinger put it, readily available inherently makes the Thunder frontcourt less vulnerable to any future hardships.
Though by no means a star, Williams is without question a highly reliable talent who can wear many hats within OKC's scheme.
Whether he's needed as a gritty rebounder and defender or as a flashy facilitator, the big man's versatility allows the Thunder the opportunity to further experiment with their lineup configurations -- something that already seems to be legacy-defining for the organization.
After coming off a career-best season, one where he dropped averages of 5.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 39.9 percent shooting from distance while ranking first on the team in net rating (minimum 40 games played), excitement over Jay Will further developing into a Swiss Army Knife-type player is as high as it's ever been.
Fortunately, the Thunder faithful have at least two more years to see how much more the pivot can develop his game.