Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder has earned Super Max eligibility following his 65th game played.
On Thursday the Oklahoma City Thunder (46-20) ran away from the Dallas Mavericks (38-29) behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams putting on star-level performances.
Gilgeous-Alexander has already broken the single-season record for most 30-plus point games in OKC Thunder history. He earned another such performance against the Mavericks going for 31 points.
In that game against Dallas, Gilgeous-Alexander suited up for the 65th time this season. This made him eligible for postseason awards under the new NBA rule.
Gilgeous-Alexander will undoubtedly enjoy another All-NBA season as long as he satisfies the selection criteria. The league-leading 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and almost a block (0.9) per game are all being recorded by the OKC Thunder star.
Last season saw the Kentucky product make his first All-NBA squad being tabbed to the first-team and placing fifth in MVP voting. Now, after another season of improvement, Gilgeous-Alexander will once again made first-team All-NBA and might even take home the Most Valuable Player Award.
When Gilgeous-Alexander is officially named to an All-NBA team, he will become eligible for a Super Max contract extension in the 2025 NBA Offseason. The 25-year-old has three years left on his current pact and securing him on the super max deal would project to place him in Bricktown for his entire prime.
Given the Thunder’s current trajectory and the cash that comes the contract, it seems likely the two sides will be racing to ink the super max contract in 2025.
