The reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, just made history once again, not on the hardwood this time, but at the negotiating table.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million supermax extension with the champion Oklahoma City Thunder, locking him in through the 2030–31 season. The deal gives him an average annual salary of $71.25 million, making it the richest annual salary in NBA history.
Per Sportac, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on track to earn:
2025-26: $38.3M
2026-27: $40.8M
2027-28: $63.7M*
2028-29: $68.8M*
2029-30: $73.9M*
2030-31: $78.9M*
*based on a max $182M league salary cap in 2027-28.
This monster extension comes after a generational season from SGA, who not only earned his first MVP award but also led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game, while adding 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
He anchored the Thunder’s remarkable rise from a promising young squad to NBA champions, culminating in a spectacular postseason run.
In the NBA Finals, Shai continued his dominance, averaging 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds, ultimately winning the Bill Russell Finals MVP as the Thunder captured their first championship in franchise history. The 26-year-old became the face of a new era in Oklahoma City, one built around homegrown talent, team-first basketball, and relentless grit.
His new contract boosts his career earnings to $318.9 million, a staggering figure for a player who was once traded by the Clippers to the Thunder in the Paul George deal.
Since then, he’s evolved into one of the top five players in the league and the undisputed leader of a championship core featuring Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and a war chest of draft picks.
Interestingly, Shai could’ve waited until the 2026 offseason to sign an even larger extension, a potential five-year, $380 million deal. However, he chose to sign now, signaling his full commitment to the Thunder’s vision and rewarding the franchise for its trust and patient development strategy.
The Thunder, for their part, have gone all in on their title window. After winning it all in 2025, they now aim to build a dynasty around Gilgeous-Alexander. Locking him into a long-term deal provides not just stability, but also a message to the rest of the league: Oklahoma City is not just a developmental stop. It’s a destination for greatness.
This deal also reshapes the NBA’s salary landscape. While players like Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, and Nikola Jokic have all signed massive contracts in recent years, none matched the annual number Shai now commands.
In an era of rapidly rising cap space and franchise valuations, Gilgeous-Alexander’s extension sets a new benchmark and potentially opens the door for the next wave of superstars to push the limits even further.
For now, though, the spotlight belongs to Shai. He dominated the regular season, conquered the postseason, and now he’s reaping the rewards as the highest-paid player per year in league history. The Thunder have their man and the league has a new standard.
