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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Becomes Highest Paid Player In NBA History

Anthony Cardenas Written by Sports EditorAnthony Cardenas
Updated –
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just capped off one of the best seasons that any single NBA player has ever had. He led the league in scoring, won the regular season MVP award, and was named NBA Finals MVP for leading his Oklahoma City Thunder to their first ever championship. On Tuesday morning, he was rewarded handsomely for his efforts, and will now be the highest paid player in league history in terms of annual value.

SGA Will Earn $71.3m Per Year, Highest Total In NBA History

One of the most accomplished young players in the league will be staying in Oklahoma City for the foreseeable future. The Thunder extended a contract extension offer to Gorgeous-Alexander following the conclusion of the NBA season, which he has happily obliged in signing. The deal is of the four-year variety, and is worth a whopping $285 million overall, giving SGA a hefty bump in pay.

On his original deal, he was earning roughly $35 million per season, which had two remaining seasons. He’ll more than double that annual total, as his new contract will pay him an average of $71.25 million per season, easily the highest total in NBA history.

Highest Annual Value Contracts In The NBA

  1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – $71.3m
  2. Joel Embiid – $64.3m
  3. Jayson Tatum – $62.7m
  4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – $58.4m
  5. Anthony Davis – $58.4m

 

On the list of highest average annual values, SGA overtakes the title from Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. In what has turned out to be something of an ugly deal for Philly, Embiid is set to earn $64.3 million over the next three years, which is slightly higher than the $62.7 million that the Celtics are dishing out to Jayson Tatum from now until 2029.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis are tied for 5th on the list at $58.4 million annually.

It is the first of what could be a handful of big paydays that the Thunder hand out in the near future. The talent that lines their roster will eventually need to get paid, as guys like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams will be searching for new contracts within the next year or so. It will be interesting to see how they manage to work around the salary cap and tax rules, and how deep they’ll be willing to go into their pockets to keep their core pieces together.

Anthony Cardenas Written by Sports EditorAnthony Cardenas
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