The Oklahoma City Thunder made the right bet when they traded their franchise centerpieces away in 2019 and landed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with more players and picks to send Paul George to the LA Clippers. Shai had shown star qualities as a rookie and has since blossomed into the leader of the young Thunder.
Everyone knows that OKC has been tanking the last 2 seasons and landed Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren from both drafts as a result. To get good draft picks, teams have to lose a lot and that’s something OKC’s been doing. Despite all the losses, SGA has dismissed trade rumors and said he knew what he was signing up for during the Thunders’ media day.
Amid speculation that he'd want to leave OKC, Shai Gilgeous Alexander told @AndrewKSchlecht he's committed to the Thunder.
"I know what I signed up for when I signed a five-year extension and I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer."pic.twitter.com/Vanj0ocJtS
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 27, 2022
“Obviously, we have lost more than we’d like to in the past couple of years and it’s not fun. With that being said though, I know what I signed up for. I signed a 5-year extension and I don’t think we’ll be losing for much longer. It’s not like I signed up to lose. I believe in this team and the players we have on this team. I think we’re headed in the right direction and we’ll be where we want to be soon.”
How Far Are The Thunder From Competing?
A few players from the Thunder have started receiving long-term extensions, which means players are being added to the core of the team. As of now, SGA and Luguentz Dort have long-term contracts and will definitely be in the future plans for the organization. OKC GM Sam Presti has come out and said SGA will not be available for trade despite the player being linked to the New York Knicks.
Trading away Shai in the first year of his new contract would be silly from OKC’s perspective. Considering the core they have already built, the Thunder aren’t too far away from competing atop the Western Conference. However, it’ll take a few more picks and possible trades to make this the championship-winning core that Shai and the franchise hope it becomes.
