Thunder reward Jalen Williams with 5-year rookie max worth up to $287M
The Oklahoma City Thunder and All-Star forward Jalen Williams agreed to a five-year rookie maximum extension worth up to $287 million, Williams' agents told ESPN's Shams Charania.
The contract is fully guaranteed with no options, sources told The Athletic's Kelly Iko.
Williams posted 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals this past campaign. The 24-year-old acted as the second option behind this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, averaging 16.9 shot attempts per game. Williams was named an All-Star for the first time this season and also earned spots on the All-NBA third team and the All-Defensive second team.
Williams averaged 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in the playoffs. The Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals to win their first title.
The Santa Clara product was selected 12th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft with a pick received from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Paul George trade in 2019. Williams finished as the runner-up for Rookie of the Year behind Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero.
His lucrative long-term commitment officially secures Oklahoma City's Big Three through the rest of the decade at minimum.
The Thunder agreed Wednesday to a five-year, $239-million rookie extension with center Chet Holmgren, whom they took second overall in the same draft as Williams. Holmgren's deal also contains incentives that could increase its value to $250 million. Gilgeous-Alexander was the first of the trio to pledge his future to the franchise when he signed a four-year, $285-million supermax extension earlier in July.
Altogether, the organization is committing up to $822 million to the three players through 2030-31.