Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is dominating the NBA this year. He was the key piece for the Oklahoma City Thunder in their spectacular regular season, during which they finished atop the Western Conference standings. Now, he’s leading the team through the postseason, maintaining an exceptional level of play. All of this earned the guard the MVP award, surpassing Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic—although that success doesn’t necessarily show in his paycheck.
Shai is, of course, the highest-paid player on the Thunder, earning an annual salary of $35,859,950 under a contract that runs through the end of the 2026–27 season. While that’s certainly a significant amount, it falls well short of the league’s top earners—many of whom haven’t matched the Canadian guard’s recent performance.
In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander ranks 34th among the NBA’s highest salaries, a position he shares with Denver’s Michael Porter. For context, the league’s top earner this season is Stephen Curry, who makes $55,761,216 with the Golden State Warriors. Next on the list are Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, both earning $51,415,938 for the current season.
The 2025 MVP is currently in the third year of the five-season deal he signed with Oklahoma City in 2023. At the time, the two sides agreed to an extension worth a total of $172 million. That appeared to be a wise move then, but given Shai’s recent elite performance, the number now looks modest in retrospect.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is the NBA’s top earner
By the time his current contract with the Thunder expires, Shai will have earned a total of $576 million over the course of his NBA career. That figure includes his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018–19, six full seasons with OKC, and the two remaining years on his current deal.
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Shai wins NBA MVP: Who was the last American to win the award?
The only other Thunder player currently among the NBA’s top 100 salaries is Isaiah Hartenstein, who ranks 49th with a $30 million salary. Next in line on the team are Luguentz Dort ($16.5 million), Isaiah Joe ($12.9 million), and Chet Holmgren ($10.8 million).
Oklahoma City ranks 25th out of 30 in the NBA’s payroll standings. The team’s total roster budget sits at $167,471,133—surpassing only the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons. That underscores the Thunder’s remarkable performance, having dominated the regular season and now sitting just steps away from clinching a spot in the NBA Finals.
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