Who Will Join Shai Gilgeous-Alexander As OKC Thunder’s Next All-Star?

Oklahoma City has a few core members with All-Star potential.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) dunks during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City has a rich history in the All-Star Game. Even though the franchise is still so young, fans have been blessed to watch a few all-time greats don a Thunder jersey and represent the franchise on the biggest stage. From Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, to Paul George and Chris Paul, Oklahoma City has had a handful of All-Star representatives in recent years.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the latest player to join that list, and feels like a shoe-in for years to come. After back-to-back All-Star and All-NBA campaigns, the next step for the Thunder superstar is gunning for the MVP award. Almost every NBA team to win the Finals in recent memory has two All-Stars at minimum. Does Oklahoma City have another All-Star caliber player already on the roster?

The early guess is an emphatic yes. The Thunder’s young core is already well ahead of schedule and the roster complements Gilgeous-Alexander perfectly. There are a few options within the core to join SGA at the NBA All-Star game in the near future, but two obvious candidates stand out.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are already on the verge of being All-Star level players, and another offseason of improvement could certainly push either player over the edge. As it stands, it feels like Williams will be Oklahoma City’s second scoring option moving forward, and Holmgren will be asked to anchor the team on the defensive end.

Williams has showcased extreme efficiency over the course of his two NBA seasons and could easily be at 22 or 23 points per game in the near future. With higher volume and staggered minutes with Gilgeous-Alexander, he’ll have a case for an All-Star appearance as early as next season. His assist numbers rose last season, too, sitting at 4.5 dimes per game. He seems to be more comfortable operating out of the pick-and-roll, and running the offense is one of the main areas he can improve moving forward.

While Williams is already ultra efficient, his game is so well rounded it’s hard to find anything to add. Holmgren feels like he’s a few additions and tweaks to his game before he has All-NBA potential. His ceiling is higher than most players in the NBA. The Thunder’s No. 2 pick averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while playing all 82 contests.

At this time last season, Josh Giddey would've been in the conversation too. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists before he turned 21 years old. It seems unlikely after the season he had, but the potential is still there. A big offseason could work wonders.

At this point, it feels like Williams has the chance to accomplish the feat sooner, but Holmgren's overall ceiling might just be higher. Oklahoma City is in a great spot with two potential All-Star caliber players to join Gilgeous-Alexander in the near future.

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