There's no denying that Sam Presti has been incredibly successful in the draft selections department throughout his long-standing tenure with the OKC Thunder.
During his 19-year run as Oklahoma City's top executive, the storied GM has snatched up a slew of star talent through the draft process.
Just recently, his past successes took over quite a lucrative and incredibly historic category.
James Harden, who the Thunder selected third overall back in the 2009 NBA Draft, just inked a brand new three-year, $97 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, bringing his career earnings to an estimated $511 million.
With this, he now becomes just the fourth player in league history to agree to team deals that accumulate to half a billion dollars or more, with Kevin Durant, the second-overall selection made by the Thunder (then Seattle SuperSonics) during the 2007 NBA Draft, already serving as a resident of the club with his estimated $598.2 million earnings.
The two other players residing in such a range are LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be next Thunder to enter $500M club
With the way things are currently going, current Thunder cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander easily seems to be on his way toward entering such an enviable club.
Right now, his total career earnings up to this point have well surpassed the $100 million threshold, and, once his current $285 million supermax comes to its conclusion in 2031, he's projected to surpass a whopping $481 million.
Of course, his on-court net worth won't stop there.
By the time his deal fully plays out, Gilgeous-Alexander will only be in his early 30s and, in turn, will be looking for yet another big-time payday.
The hope here is that the Thunder will have already locked in his services to a contract extension once he becomes eligible again. By the time 2030 rolls around, projections show supermax extensions will find players earning over $80 million per year by the end of their deals.
At this rate, Gilgeous-Alexander seems like a shoo-in to join his fellow former Thunder draftees in the $500 million earnings fraternity.
Heck, with the way in which basketball inflation is skyrocketing, he may one day be joined by the likes of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who both are entering the first years of recently signed extensions that are projected to earn them well north of $200 million by their respective conclusions.
Add us as a preferred source on Google