By Editor Jake Fenner
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP and the star on the NBA Finals champion Oklahoma City Thunder, has inked a contract giving him the richest annual salary in the history of the league.
The man they call ‘SGA’ has agreed to a four-year, $285million super-max extension that keeps him with the team through the 2030-31 season.
Gilgeous-Alexander will now be paid an average annual salary of an astounding $71.25million per year – the fifth biggest contract by AAV in the history of sports.
For context, that’s more than any NFL quarterback and only slightly bigger than the contract given to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
The only four contracts bigger than this one by AAV are as follows: Canelo Alvarez’s boxing deal with DAZN from 2018-2023 ($73m/yr), Lionel Messi’s final deal with FC Barcelona from 2017-2021 ($168.5m/yr), and both of Cristiano Ronaldo’s deals with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr (2023-2025 at $214.5m/yr, 2025-2027 at $355m/yr).
It’s also more than $16m per year greater than the best paid NFL quarterbacks by AAV – with both Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars earning $55m per year.
Compared to his peers, he’s earning just short of $9million more than Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum – the previous record holder for highest paid contract by AAV in the NBA.
It’s a contract that isn’t given without merit. Gilgeous-Alexander just came off the greatest season in the history of the franchise and helped the Thunder win their first ever NBA title since moving from Seattle.
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