Jalen Williams, Thunder Agree to 5-Year, $287M Max Contract Extension After NBA Title

The Oklahoma City Thunder and forward Jalen Williams have agreed to a five-year max extension worth as much as $287 million, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

This comes after the Thunder also tied down big man Chet Holmgren on similar terms.

Williams just finished his third NBA season after the Thunder selected the ex-Santa Clara star with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He then signed a four-year, $20.2 million contract with OKC.

He made an immediate impact in his rookie season, which saw the team improve to 40-42 (and a play-in tournament spot) after a 24-58 mark the year before. Williams averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

In 2023-24, Williams took on an even bigger role for a 57-25 Thunder team that finished first in the Western Conference standings. He posted 19.1 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per outing while shooting 54.0 percent from the field (42.7 percent from three).

Williams then took another leap last season as he made his first All-Star game, posting 21.6 points on 48.4 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals. He also made the All-NBA Third Team.

Thanks in part to his efforts, the Thunder improved once again, registering an NBA-best 68-14 record and the team's first championship since moving from Seattle to OKC in 2008. Williams was fantastic in the Finals, averaging 23.6 points per game and posting 40 points in a 120-109 win in Game 5.

It's not a surprise that OKC has taken advantage of the opportunity to extend Williams. He's become a bona fide superstar and NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's top wingman alongside Holmgren, and OKC has benefited greatly as one of the league's elite teams.

Now he's in the mix long-term, helping cement a bright future in town.