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Jalen Williams Jalen Williams inks five-year rookie max extension
Thu, Jul 10, 2025, 9:10 AM
Shams Charania
ESPN's Shams Charania reports the Thunder signed Jalen Williams to a five-year, rookie max extension worth up to $287 million.
Analysis: J Dub is fresh off the best season of his career, posting 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocked shots and 1.8 triples per game in Year 3. The Santa Clara product delivered a strong playoff run, including a 40-burger in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, despite a wrist injury that required offseason surgery. Williams will be locked in with OKC through 2030 alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren to make up a formidable big three in the Western Conference. He should go off the board in the first three rounds in re-draft leagues this fall. |
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Chet Holmgren Chet Holmgren agrees to rookie max extension
Wed, Jul 9, 2025, 5:09 AM
Shams Charania
ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Chet Holmgren has agreed to a five-year, fully-guaranteed rookie max extension that could reach up to $250 million.
Analysis: Holmgren logged only 32 games last season due to a hip injury, but he was productive when available. During the 2024-25 campaign, the big man put up 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 triples per contest. He struggled on offense in the Finals but provided a strong defensive presence and recorded five blocks in the closeout, Game 7 victory. Holmgren is now locked in as a franchise cornerstone alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the foreseeable future, and OKC will likely look to get the last member of the team's big three- Jalen Williams - locked into a long-term deal sooner rather than later. |
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Jalen Williams Jalen Williams has offseason wrist surgery
Tue, Jul 1, 2025, 9:03 AM
David Aldridge
Jalen Williams underwent successful wrist surgery and will be re-evaluated in approximately 12 weeks.
Analysis: Williams is expected to be healthy in time for the start of next season. The 24-year-old small forward suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist late in the regular season. He underwent surgery to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, according to the team. Williams played through the injury during the Thunder's championship playoff run. |
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shams: SGA, OKC agree on 4-yr super max deal
Tue, Jul 1, 2025, 4:33 AM
Shams Charania
ESPN's Shams Charania reports Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million super maximum extension with the Thunder.
Analysis: Gilgeous-Alexander now has the highest annual salary in NBA history. After a season in which SGA won the scoring title, took home regular season MVP honors, led the Thunder to the championship and was awarded NBA Finals MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander earned a well-timed raise. Coming off one of the best seasons for a guard in league history, SGA will of course be one of the first names off the board in fantasy drafts next year. |
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Jalen Williams Jalen Williams (wrist) to undergo surgery
Mon, Jun 30, 2025, 11:03 AM
Jalen Williams (wrist) will undergo surgery but is expected to be healthy in time for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Analysis: Williams suffered a torn ligament in his right (shooting) wrist late in the regular season. That injury makes his performances during Oklahoma City's run to the NBA title more impressive. The good news is that, according to Thunder lead executive Sam Presti, Williams is expected to be a full go when the 2025-26 season begins. JDub was a top-25 fantasy player last season, exceeding his Yahoo! ADP by a round in 12-team formats. At worst, he should be a third-round pick in 12-team leagues next fall. |
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Jaylin Williams Shams: Jaylin Williams, Thunder agree to extension
Sun, Jun 29, 2025, 4:55 AM
Shams Charania
ESPN's Shams Charania reports the Thunder and Jaylin Williams have agreed to a three-year, $24 million extension.
Analysis: Instead of picking up Williams' option for the 2025-26 season worth $2.1 million, the Thunder declined to give him a far superior deal. The third year of Jay Will's new contract will be a team option. A preseason hamstring injury limited Williams to 47 games during the regular season, but he is a valued reserve for the NBA champions. He recorded four double-doubles and three triple-doubles, stepping up to provide value on nights when Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein was unavailable. As was the case this season, Williams will likely be most valuable to fantasy managers as a streamer in 2025-26. |
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander SGA powers Thunder to NBA title with 29 points
Sun, Jun 22, 2025, 5:44 PM
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander provided 29 points and 12 assists in Sunday's series-clinching 103-91 Game 7 victory over the Pacers, leading the Thunder to their first NBA title.
Analysis: It wasn't always pretty, but SGA ??" who was named NBA Finals MVP afterwards ??" got the job done on Sunday night as the Thunder pulled away from Indiana in the second half to secure the franchise's first title since moving to Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander shot a putrid 8-of-27 from the field and 2-of-12 from beyond the arc, but he got to the line 12 times and sank 11 free throws to buoy his scoring numbers. The 12 assists tie his season-high in that category, and his all-around contributions were spectacular, despite the inefficient shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander's 2024-25 season will go down as one of the best individual seasons for a guard in NBA history, as he won the scoring title, regular season MVP and Finals MVP. The Thunder are early favorites to win the 2025-26 title, and Gilgeous-Alexander has the second-shortest odds to win a second straight MVP, behind only Nikola Jokic. |
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Jalen Williams Jalen Williams scores 20 as OKC wins title
Sun, Jun 22, 2025, 5:37 PM
Jalen Williams provided 20 points (7-of-20 FG), four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two triples across 38 minutes Sunday as the Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91.
Analysis: Like his superstar teammate, Williams was far from efficient as he and Shai Gilgeous Alexander combined for 49 points on 15-of-47 shots. Despite the poor shooting, Williams made a positive impact on the contest. He finished with the highest plus-minus in the game at plus-13 after recording a minus-40 in Game 6. Williams broke out in the regular season and broke out in an even bigger way in the Finals, as he scored 40 points in Game 5 and cemented himself as one of the best secondary options in the Association. The future looks bright for Williams and SGA. |
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Chet Holmgren Holmgren records five blocks in Game 7 victory
Sun, Jun 22, 2025, 5:29 PM
Chet Holmgren finished Sunday's series-deciding Game 7 win over the Pacers with 18 points, eight rebounds, a steal, five blocked shots and a triple across 31 minutes.
Analysis: Holmgren struggled offensively in this series, but he came through for his team in the title-clinching win. The big man knocked down 6-of-8 shots, hit five of his eight attempts from the charity stripe and made some monster plays on defense. So long as he can stay healthy, he should once again offer an early-round ceiling to fantasy managers thanks to his ability to hit triples and block shots. |
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander SGA turns it over eight times in Game 6 loss
Thu, Jun 19, 2025, 5:39 PM
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points (7-of-15 FGs, 7-of-8 FTs), four rebounds, two assists and eight turnovers in a 108-91 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Analysis: This certainly wasn't the performance OKC was hoping to get out of the MVP with a chance to close out the series. Sure, he led the team in scoring, but the eight turnovers were abysmal. Turnovers haven't been an issue for the Thunder this year; they averaged the fewest turnovers per game in the league during the regular season and have won the turnover matchup for most of this series. They'll certainly need to clean things up to defend their homecourt and win a championship in Game 7 on Sunday. |
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Jalen Williams Jalen Williams held to 16 points in Game 6 loss
Thu, Jun 19, 2025, 5:35 PM
Jalen Williams contributed 16 points (6-of-13 FGs), three rebounds and one assist in Game 6 against the Pacers on Thursday.
Analysis: After a 40-point masterclass in Game 5, Williams cooled off in Game 6. It was a disappointing night after two consecutive strong performances. He also posted a team-worst minus-40 plus/minus, which isn't solely on his shoulders, but it was indicative of how the game went during his 27 minutes. The 24-year-old will have to be better in Game 7 on Sunday. |
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Alex Caruso Alex Caruso starts second half vs. Pacers Thursday
Thu, Jun 19, 2025, 5:32 PM
Alex Caruso started the second half on Thursday and finished with three rebounds, two assists and one block in 22 minutes against the Pacers.
Analysis: Caruso has had some big games in this series, but Thursday was not one of them. He was held scoreless and didn't contribute much else in the box score. Of course, his defense is always valuable, but it wasn't enough to slow down Indiana. What was noteworthy was that Caruso started the second half in place of Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder were down 22 points at halftime, so this could've been Mark Daigneault trying to create a spark. Caruso will likely return to a reserve role on Sunday for Game 7, but the situation is worth monitoring. |
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Aaron Wiggins Aaron Wiggins hits four three-pointers in Game 5
Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 5:39 PM
Aaron Wiggins accounted for 14 points (4-of-10 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, one block and four three-pointers in Monday's Game 5 win over the Pacers.
Analysis: While Alex Caruso has garnered the most attention among the Thunder reserves in the NBA Finals, Wiggins has stepped up with two quality performances. Monday night, he hit double figures for the first time since Game 2, when he scored 18 points in a win. Wiggins and Cason Wallace (11/2/0/4/1 with three three-pointers) combined for 25 points in Game 5, helping to counter the excellent showing by Pacers backup guard T.J. McConnell. Wiggins' inconsistency makes him a challenging player to trust fully, but he's shown the ability to have an impact on multiple occasions this postseason. |
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gilgeous-Alexander drops 31/2/10/2/4 line Monday
Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 5:34 PM
Keerthika Uthayakumar
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished Monday's Game 5 win over the Pacers with 31 points (9-of-21 FGs, 13-of-14 FTs), two rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and four blocked shots.
Analysis: While the field goal percentage may not have been great, Gilgeous-Alexander was highly impactful in Monday's victory. The four blocked shots were one shy of his playoff career-high, and he also hit double digits in assists for the first time since Game 4 of the conference finals. Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his 15th 30-point game of these playoffs, the most in a single postseason since Kobe Bryant had 15 in 2009. While the Pacers have done all they can to limit Gilgeous-Alexander, and they've had some success, the NBA's Most Valuable Player still feels inevitable. He and the Thunder will look to win their first NBA title on Thursday night. |
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Jalen Williams Jalen Williams shines in Game 5 win, scores 40
Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 5:27 PM
Jared Weiss
Jalen Williams tallied 40 points (14-of-25 FGs, 9-of-12 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, one steal and three three-pointers in Monday's Game 5 win over the Pacers.
Analysis: JDub put on a show Monday night in what was the most productive outing of his brief postseason career. Shooting 56 percent from the field, Williams notched a career-high point total, carrying over his productive play from Games 3 and 4. While Oklahoma City did drop Game 3, the shift to making sure Williams is on the opposite side of the court as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has significantly impacted Indiana's defense. Having to account for SGA's drives has left the Pacers in challenging positions regarding how they defend JDub, who's been able to get downhill far more consistently than he did in the first two games. He and the Thunder will look to close out the series on Thursday. |
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Alex Caruso Alex Caruso records 20 points, five steals Friday
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 5:56 PM
Alex Caruso finished Friday's Game 4 win over the Pacers with 20 points (7-of-9 FGs, 5-of-7 FTs), three rebounds, five steals, one block and one three-pointer.
Analysis: While he may not be one of the marquee names in these NBA Finals, it's fair to wonder where the Thunder would be without Caruso. He's scored 20 points in both of Oklahoma City's victories, and Friday's offensive effort was supplemented by five steals and a blocked shot on the other end of the floor. While Isaiah Hartenstein (two points, six rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes) returned to the starting lineup with Cason Wallace (two points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes) being bumped to the bench, Caruso was still the preferred option as Oklahoma City mounted its fourth-quarter rally. Caruso played 32 and 30 minutes in Games 3 and 4, and the Thunder may need him to continue shouldering that caliber of workload to win this series. |
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Jalen Williams Williams records 27/7/3 line in Game 4 victory
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 5:47 PM
Jalen Williams tallied 27 points (8-of-18 FGs, 11-of-11 FTs), seven rebounds and three assists in Friday's Game 4 win over the Pacers.
Analysis: After two modest performances in the first two games of the NBA Finals, Williams upped his production in Indianapolis. In the two games, he totaled 53 points, shooting 17-of-36 from the field and 18-of-22 from the foul line. Friday night, Williams did most of his damage in the restricted area and at the charity stripe. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge in crunch time, but J-Dub's ability to get to the foul line kept Oklahoma City within striking distance. That said, his perimeter shooting must improve, as Williams has shot 3-of-14 from deep in the first four games. Game 5 is on Monday, with the series tied at two games apiece. |
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Chet Holmgren Holmgren (ankle) grabs 15 rebounds in Game 4
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 5:40 PM
Chet Holmgren (ankle) amassed 14 points (4-of-9 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot in Friday's Game 4 win over the Pacers.
Analysis: While Holmgren has been relatively quiet offensively in the NBA Finals, his rebounding has improved by the game. After grabbing six rebounds in Games 1 and 2, the slender forward hit double digits in both games in Indianapolis. The 15 rebounds in Game 4 were one shy of his playoff career-high, and Holmgren has accounted for at least 10 in nine games this postseason. The lone concern for Chet coming out of Game 4 was him rolling his left ankle on two separate occasions, in the first and fourth quarters. However, he did not have to exit the game following either injury, and Game 5 is not until Monday night. |
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gilgeous-Alexander scores 35 in Game 4 victory
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 5:34 PM
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 12-of-24 from the field and 10-of-10 from the foul line in Friday's Game 4 win over the Pacers, scoring 35 points with three rebounds, three steals, one block and one three-pointer.
Analysis: With his team staring at a 3-1 deficit, the NBA's Most Valuable Player stepped up when the Thunder needed him most. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the final 4:36 of Game 4, including a step-back jumper with 2:23 remaining that gave Oklahoma City the lead for good. He was perfect from the foul line and shot 50 percent from the field to lead the Thunder to a win that returned home-court advantage to the Western Conference champions. However, SGA did not record an assist, the first time he's done so in these playoffs. Oklahoma City tried to play him off the ball more, but that approach tended to slow the team down more than they hoped. That changed in crunch time, and Gilgeous-Alexander did what he's expected to do. Game 5 is on Monday night. |
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Isaiah Hartenstein OKC starting SGA, Dort, Williams, Chet, iHart
Fri, Jun 13, 2025, 2:06 PM
Tony East
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein will start Friday's Game 4 against the Pacers.
Analysis: After starting Cason Wallace in the first three games of the NBA Finals, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has gone back to his usual first five. Hartenstein returns to the lineup, with Wallace heading to the bench. Hartenstein can be a capable facilitator in the short roll, and his floater in those spots is close to automatic. After playing 33 minutes in Game 1, Wallace logged 24 and 23 minutes in Games 2 and 3. |
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