Thunder's Updated NBA Salary Cap After $822M In SGA, Williams, Holmgren Contracts

The core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren brought the Oklahoma City Thunder a title this season, and now the team has secured its three stars for the long haul.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Thunder signed Williams to a five-year maximum rookie extension that could be worth up to $287 million. Williams' deal comes after Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year, $285 million deal with the team and Holmgren inked a five-year contract that could reach $250 million.

All in all, the Thunder's Big Three could earn as much as $822 million total in the coming years. As for the near future, before Williams' deal, OKC was $38.4 million over the cap, but had $8.6 million in first apron space and $20.4 million in second apron space, per Spotrac.

All three extensions are well deserved for Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren.

Williams, who just wrapped up his third season in the NBA, put up 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals, all of which were career highs. There were questions of whether Williams would rise to the occasion and be the second option OKC needed, and he did just that.

Williams was just as impactful during the Thunder's playoff run, especially in the Finals. He put up 23.6 points per game against the Indiana Pacers, including a 40-point outing in Game 5.

Gilgeous-Alexander earned his first MVP after averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 boards per game, and he followed it up with a dominant postseason run that ended with him winning Finals MVP.

Holmgren is coming off a second season in which he averaged 15 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, though he played just 32 games. Considering Holmgren still has less than a season and a half under his belt, there's no telling what heights the big man will reach as he continues to develop.

While spending big on stars has cost other teams around the league flexibility, that won't be the case for the Thunder. Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, the team is projected to be over the first and second apron in 2026-27 with a projected payroll of $246 million, but $77 million in non-guaranteed contracts gives OKC the freedom to surround its Big 3 with talented role players.

The Thunder team that won a title last season will look different in the coming years as players depart and new players come in, but OKC can rest assured knowing it has Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren for years to come.