The Thunder Are Now Paying Three Players Over $900 Million

The Oklahoma City Thunder won the first championship in franchise history and have immediately put in the work to run it back for seasons to come. First, the Thunder extended a record supermax offer worth $285 million to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Then, Oklahoma City gave Chet Holmgren a rookie max extension which could hit a quarter-billion dollars. Now, the Thunder are paying Jalen Williams top dollar.

Williams and the Thunder agreed to a five-year rookie max extension that will pay him at least $239 million and potentially up to $287 million. He'll get the extra money if he makes an All-NBA team or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Williams tore a ligament in his wrist on April 9 and played the rest of the year with the injury, even scoring 40 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Between Williams, Holmgren, and Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have committed approximately $822 million across these three extensions. But they actually owe each player more than that, since the new deals won't kick in until after next season (or, in the case of Gilgeous-Alexander, after the next two seasons).

From left to right: Chet Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jalen Williams are all locked into long-term contracts with the Thunder. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Holmgren will make about $13.7 million next season, while Williams will earn just shy of $6.6 million. Gilgeous-Alexander still has two years left on his previous deal, so he's still owed a little over $79 million.

Put those current and future contracts together, and that's close to $922 million that the Thunder are spending on these three players. And yet, they all feel like smart, competitive moves.

Gilgeous-Alexander, 26; Williams, 24; and Holmgren, 23 are now all under contract throughout the rest of the decade. For a team as dominant as the Thunder were this season, that could result in multiple championships.

Unlike many teams that give supermax deals to players, Oklahoma City isn't too hamstrung by bad contracts. GM Sam Presti has constructed a fantastic roster while collecting approximately six billion draft picks. The Thunder have around $77 million in non-guaranteed contracts, which means they can waive players or trade picks to help get under the first and second aprons and avoid costly salary cap taxes.

It's rare to see a team so young win the championship; the Thunder are the second-youngest squad ever to take home a title. But with this core locked in for the long-term, we very well could witness Oklahoma City hoisting several more trophies.