NBA Rumors: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Situation Eyed by Raptors amid Thunder Rebuild

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly "closely monitoring" the situation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in case the Oklahoma City Thunder guard seeks a trade.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN reported the Raptors "will be ready" if Gilgeous-Alexander ever decides he wants to play in his hometown. The Toronto native has also recently spent time playing under Raptors coach Nick Nurse for the Canadian national team, so the two parties have some level of familiarity.

Lewenberg's report noted there has been no indication Gilgeous-Alexander is dissatisfied in Oklahoma City.

"I know what I signed up for when I signed a five-year extension," Gilgeous-Alexander told Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic. "I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer, so it's not like I signed up to lose or anything. I believe in this team. Believe in the players we have on this team, and I think we're headed in the right direction and we'll be where we wanna be soon."

Gilgeous-Alexander is in the first year of a five-year, $179.3 million contract he signed in August 2021. The deal carries no options and has a 15 percent trade kicker, so there was a true commitment from both parties when the contract was signed.

The Thunder were hoping for a marked improvement in 2022-23 after taking Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 pick in June's draft, but the Gonzaga product will miss the entire season after suffering a foot injury while playing in a Seattle pro-am game.

Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to miss much, if not all, of the preseason while recovering from a knee injury. His status for the beginning of the regular season remains unclear.

It's likely the Thunder will remain one of the worst in the NBA for the third straight season. Oklahoma City went 46-108 over the last two seasons, finishing 14th in the Western Conference in each of those campaigns.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have managed to stay competitive despite undergoing their own full-scale roster overhaul. Toronto finished 48-34 in 2021-22 and appears to have found a gem in Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, who already ranks ahead of any teammate Gilgeous-Alexander has in OKC.