Sports
NBA Rumors: Execs Lost Hope Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Will Ask Thunder for Trade – Bleacher Report
As optimism around the Oklahoma City Thunder continues to rise going into the 2023-24 season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander figures to remain a fixture of the organization for the foreseeable future.
Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick, rival executives “appear to have given up hope” that Gilgeous-Alexander will want out of Oklahoma City.
While there was no indication that Gilgeous-Alexander was on the verge of seeking a trade, there was speculation about the possibility.
Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the topic during a sit-down interview with The Athletic’s Andrew Schlect at training camp in September 2022, saying he believed in the Thunder and expressed optimism about their future.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the speculation that he would want out of Oklahoma City <br><br>"I know what I signed up for when I signed a 5 year extension… and I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer." <br><br>"I believe in this team" <a href="https://t.co/5Un4Hsb92f">pic.twitter.com/5Un4Hsb92f</a>
In a poll of executives conducted by Amick last November, one front-office person discussed the possibility of Gilgeous-Alexander seeking a trade.
“You keep hearing that Shai is frustrated with the losing, and so I think that’s the Toronto thing that we’ve all heard about with their interest in Shai this summer,” the executive said. “But how far do (the Thunder) want to push this (tanking effort)?”
Gilgeous-Alexander signed a five-year, $179.3 million extension with the Thunder in September 2021. The deal keeps him under contract to the organization through the 2026-27 season.
Last season was a huge step forward for both Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. The team’s 16-win improvement (24 in 2021-22 to 40 in 2022-23) was the second-biggest jump by any team after the Sacramento Kings (30 in 2021-22 to 48 in 2022-23).
Gilgeous-Alexander earned a first-team All-NBA selection after averaging 31.4 points on 51.0 percent shooting, 5.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in 68 starts. He also finished fifth in MVP voting.
The Thunder made the play-in tournament and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in their first game, but lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game to determine the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Now that Gilgeous-Alexander has established himself as a franchise player, the Thunder can continue to fill out the roster around him. They will be adding Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, after he missed all of last season with a foot injury.
Even in a loaded Western Conference, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the upside for a team whose top seven players could be 25 years old or younger. They also have the ability to potentially add another established star to the mix via trade with 16 first-round draft picks available between 2024 and 2029.
