The Oklahoma City Thunder have arguably the best young core in the entire NBA, which allowed them to stay under the salary cap for a while now, but it seems it’s finally time to pay the piper. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Thunder’s young superstar duo of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are eligible for rookie extensions, which would total up to $592 million combined.
“Oklahoma City, the price tag to keep the roster intact is set to get expensive,” Marks wrote. “Including the likely $293-million supermax extension for Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder could hand out an additional $592 million in combined extensions to Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.”
Things will definitely get a little pricey, especially if the Thunder do extend Alexander as well. It would mean the Thunder would pay $885 million over the next four to five years for three players.
Marks continued, breaking down what the two young stars could make, and the possibility of making even more.
“Holmgren, Williams and 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero are eligible to sign five-year, $246 million extensions (Banchero could become the first Orlando Magic player to sign a rookie max extension since Dwight Howard in 2007)”, Marks revealed. “Those extensions could increase to $296 million if All-NBA, MVP or Defensive Player of the Year honors are negotiated into the contracts.”
The Thunder most likely will extend both Holmgren and Williams, as they and Alexander are the core of their franchise. With at least those three, as long as they put a somewhat competent team around them, they will make the Thunder contenders for the next half-decade.
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