Oklahoma City Thunder All-NBA star and champion Jalen Williams has agreed to a five-year most rookie contract extension that might attain $287 million, brokers Invoice Duffy and Justin Haynes of WME Basketball informed ESPN on Thursday.
After changing into the second-youngest group in NBA historical past to win a title, the Thunder now have long-term commitments from their Large 3 of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26), Williams (24) and Chet Holmgren (23) to play collectively and compete for championships by way of the remainder of the last decade.
Gilgeous-Alexander formally signed a four-year, $285 million tremendous max on Tuesday and Holmgren reached a five-year, $250 million max on Wednesday — with the three new extensions now totaling as much as $822 million.
Williams suffered an entire tear of the scapholunate ligament in his proper wrist on April 9 and performed by way of the damage after lacking two weeks in March on account of a pressure within the wrist. Williams detailed on his YouTube about his expertise taking part in the remainder of the season with the intense damage in his proper wrist, which was closely taped and obtained therapy akin to pain-killing and anti inflammatory injections.
He underwent surgery to repair the wrist after the Thunder’s Finals victory.
Williams, the Thunder’s No. 12 total decide within the 2022 draft, earned All-NBA and All-Defensive group honors after a stellar third season in Oklahoma Metropolis. He had a profession yr, averaging 21.6 factors, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 48.4% capturing from the sector.
At 6-foot-6, Williams is likely one of the finest perimeter defenders within the league, utilizing his greater than 7-foot wingspan to assault passing lanes, deter drives and defend the rim. He led the NBA in factors per direct isolation allowed amongst gamers to defend at the very least 125 isolations, per GeniusIQ.
Williams got here up enormous in massive moments in OKC’s run to the town’s first NBA title, highlighted by a 40-point efficiency in a pivotal Sport 5 of the Finals. He was the third-youngest participant to attain that many factors in a Finals sport within the final 50 years (1980 Magic Johnson and 2021 Russell Westbrook). Total, Williams and co-star Gilgeous-Alexander mixed for 1,180 factors within the playoffs, the fourth-most by a duo in a single postseason in NBA historical past.
Within the Finals, Williams elevated his scoring whole in every of the primary 5 video games, going from 17 to 19 to 26 to 27 to 40 factors, changing into the primary participant to extend his scoring output in every of his first 5 profession Finals video games all-time when recording at the very least 15+ factors in every sport
Williams was one in every of 4 gamers with 1,400 factors and 100 steals final season, together with Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and James Harden.
The Thunder will enter their third season of title competition in 2025-26 whereas being underneath the posh tax, a byproduct of getting a singular roster constructed round three younger stars and key rotation finds on lengthy offers to offer depth.
In 2026-27, the Thunder venture to have a payroll of $246 million, which can take them over the primary and second apron, in keeping with ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Nevertheless, in contrast to current high-spending groups, Oklahoma Metropolis has the pliability with $77 million in non-guaranteed contracts. Oklahoma Metropolis has dozens of draft picks and has structured their contracts in future years to place them able to maintain the core of the roster collectively for the foreseeable future