A former Kentucky Wildcat just signed the biggest annual deal in NBA history

A former Kentucky Wildcat just got paid by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder just made a run all the way to the NBA Finals and won it for the first time in the team's history. A big reason why the Thunder were able to win it all was thanks to the play of former Kentucky Wildcat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

This season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points per game to lead the NBA, which led to him winning the MVP Award, and he was the first former Kentucky Wildcat to win this award.

Earlier today, it was announced that SGA was going to sign a four-year deal to stay with the Thunder for $285 million. This deal means that Gilgeous-Alexander will be earning 71.25 million dollars per season during the time of this contract, making this the largest annual salary in NBA history.

It is very clear watching SGA's play on the floor and leadership on this young Thunder team that he was worth every penny that he was just paid.

The Thunder's elite young core means they will be one of the best teams in the league for a long time, and it was clear that the front office wants to make sure that this core stays together.

With some of the older players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry closing in on retirement, SGA has a shot to be the new face of the league if he is able to keep this level of play up over the next handful of seasons.

Once again, a former Kentucky Wildcat just got paid in the league.

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander now has the richest annual salary for a player in NBA HISTORY 🤯

SGA's contract has an average annual value of $71.25M 💰 (via @ShamsCharania) pic.twitter.com/OF1SP7OCTW

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 1, 2025