Canada's Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to document 4-year, $285M US extension with Thunder: studies

[ad_1] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have agreed on a record-setting 4-year, $285 million US extension that might give him the best single-season common wage in NBA historical past, an individual with information of the settlement mentioned Tuesday.

The particular person spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of the deal has not been publicly introduced and sure will not be till the league's moratorium on most offseason signings is lifted on Sunday.

ESPN first reported on the settlement.

BREAKING: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million tremendous most contract extension with the championship Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder via 2030-31, sources inform ESPN. That is now the richest annual wage for a participant in league historical past. pic.twitter.com/eptbVjUo6j

—@ShamsCharania Information of the deal comes on Canada Day, a becoming coincidence for the 26-year-old from Hamilton who's coming off a season like few others in NBA historical past.

Not solely did Gilgeous-Alexander lead the Thunder to their first NBA championship and the league's greatest document, he swept most main particular person awards — successful regular-season and NBA Finals MVP honors and the scoring title.

The supermax extension was not surprising. It was a query of timing; he may have taken a take care of an excellent larger whole worth subsequent summer season.

Based mostly on the NBA's most up-to-date wage cap projections — the precise numbers won't be finalized till June 2027 — Gilgeous-Alexander would make someplace round $63 million within the first season and almost $79 million in the course of the 2030-31 season. That might put him at a median payout of about $1 million per common season recreation, and can be the best single-season wage in NBA historical past.

Gilgeous-Alexander did not enter the league with famous person expectations. He was the eleventh total decide within the 2018 draft, and he was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Thunder after his rookie yr. He has been on an upward trajectory ever since, and Thunder basic supervisor Sam Presti believes that may proceed.

"He is gotten higher each single yr," Presti mentioned. "His mindset has allowed him to take these steps and likewise not — I do not really feel like his progress is, like, unstable. I do not know if that is sensible, however I do not really feel prefer it's constructed on issues that may't be repeated and constructed up once more."

Presti referred to Gilgeous-Alexander as a "basketball artist" as a result of he has the emotional intelligence to know when to name upon his numerous presents.

"I simply suppose he is obtained left and proper mind working, and I feel when you concentrate on folks which are extraordinarily profitable in what they do, they cannot function all on one facet or the opposite," Presti mentioned. "Folks need to have — to me, the nice folks in life, enterprise, sports activities, any business, have to have the ability to entry each side, a artistic facet after which additionally a really goal facet."

WATCH l Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA championship, named playoff MVP:

Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA championship, named playoff MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian star on the NBA’s Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, not solely helped his workforce to the NBA championship, he additionally took house the trophy as playoff MVP and a scoring title. Gilgeous-Alexander was named league MVP final month. The Thunder are set to be contenders for years. Their greatest participant is in place long-term, all their main gamers are beneath contract via no less than subsequent season and Presti has a slew of draft picks stashed from earlier trades.

"We positively nonetheless have room to develop," Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned after the Sport 7 win over the Indiana Pacers. "That is the enjoyable a part of this. So many people can nonetheless get higher. There's not very many people on the workforce which are `in our prime' and even near it."