OKC Commits To Future With Chet Holmgren And Jalen Williams Deals

It’s been a significant offseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder after winning the NBA Championship, especially as it relates to extending core pieces of the roster long-term.

First, it was reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who signed a record-breaking deal to remain in OKC through his prime, but now Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams have joined him. Oklahoma City has committed over $800 million in future salary to that group of three, signaling that this is the core squad being built around moving forward.

Both players were signed to rookie max extensions with identical bases, at 25% of the cap, but reportedly have different levels of upside based on future incentives. Williams’ deal is worth upward of $287 million over five years, while Holmgren’s is closer to $250 million of upside.

While those are seemingly massive numbers for a pair of young players, set to make roughly half a billion dollars over five years once these extensions kick in, it’s important to remember that the salary cap continues to rise. These deals are no different than the rookie max extensions of years past; it’s just that the payouts are higher overall, given these contracts are predicated on a percentage of the cap.

Bigger picture, it is important to acknowledge the fact that Williams, Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander are set to make between 85% and 95% of the cap in the very near future. None of these three players’ extensions kick in until after the 2025-26 campaign, but at that point the Thunder’s financial situation gets interesting.

Signing this trio to major deals doesn’t mean that Oklahoma City’s championship window is closing anytime soon. In fact, the Thunder is still extremely well positioned to put quality supporting casts around these three players moving forward to ensure sustained contention status. It will undoubtedly be a different look each season. Notably, players on the current roster could be on the move after this upcoming season, but that doesn’t mean the Thunder can’t still be championship favorites. Even with the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) and the Second Apron, Oklahoma City can avoid having to tear down the roster by simply trading away pieces like Isaiah Hartenstein before needing to get into extension talks when bringing players like him back will be very difficult.

The Thunder is still the favorite to win it all in the 2025-26 campaign, and now the three clear best players on the roster are locked in for at least five more seasons, Oklahoma City isn’t going anywhere. The roster is getting more expensive, but with the draft capital the Thunder has and the proven ability to make great moves on the margin, this recent championship is still just the beginning.

Even with the core three taking up the vast majority of the cap in future seasons, that’s part of building a potential dynasty. The Thunder will need to be a tax-paying team in the future to maintain a competitive roster, but that’s something ownership has been willing to do for competitive teams in the past. Furthermore, a new arena is on the horizon and the team having success into the next four or five years is extremely important for ownership.

Overall, this has been a phenomenal offseason for the Thunder as the three stars on the roster are now under contract for at least five more years.