
07/11/2025
Oklahoma City Thunder, Jalen Williams Agree to Five-Year Max Extension Worth Up to $287 Million
The Oklahoma City Thunder are locking in their core for the long haul.
Forward Jalen Williams and the Thunder have agreed to a five-year maximum contract extension worth as much as $287 million, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday. The deal keeps one of the NBA’s fastest-rising stars in OKC through the 2029-30 season.
The agreement comes just days after the Thunder inked big man Chet Holmgren to a similar extension, signaling a clear commitment to the franchise’s youthful foundation. With NBA MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already under contract, Oklahoma City now has its superstar trio locked in as it chases a new era of sustained dominance.
Williams, 23, just completed his third season in the league after being selected No. 12 overall out of Santa Clara in the 2022 NBA Draft. He initially signed a four-year, $20.2 million rookie contract but quickly outplayed that deal with one of the most impressive ascents in recent memory.
He averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game as a rookie, helping the Thunder improve from 24-58 to 40-42 and earn a play-in berth. That momentum carried over into 2023-24, when Williams posted 19.1 points and 4.5 assists per game for a 57-win Thunder squad that finished atop the Western Conference standings.
But it was last season where Williams fully broke through. He earned his first All-Star selection and finished with career highs across the board—21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals on 48.4 percent shooting, earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.
Thanks in large part to Williams’ two-way brilliance, Oklahoma City soared to an NBA-best 68-14 record and capped off the season with the franchise’s first NBA title since its relocation from Seattle in 2008. Williams shined on the league’s biggest stage, averaging 23.6 points per game in the Finals, including a 40-point outburst in a decisive Game 5 victory.
His blend of scoring, playmaking, defense, and versatility has made him the perfect complement to Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren and now he’s a foundational piece for the future.
In Williams, the Thunder aren’t just rewarding past success, they’re betting big on continued excellence from a player who has quickly become one of the league’s brightest young stars.
With their young core locked up, a championship under their belt, and one of the NBA’s best front offices in place, Oklahoma City is firmly in win-now and win-later mode.
The Thunder are here and they aren’t going anywhere.