"A repeat of KD, Russ, Harden all over again" - NBA fans erupt as Jalen Williams secures monster $287 million rookie extension with OKC Thunder

Jalen Williams and the OKC Thunder proved to the NBA that building through the draft works. The organization won its first NBA title after moving to Oklahoma City, beating the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 Finals. Led by All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder left a lasting impression on the league.

At the start of free agency, the franchise secured its star by signing him to a four-year, $285 million extension. It was an expected move after the Canadian star won his first regular-season MVP, scoring title, Western Conference finals MVP, championship and Finals MVP.

On Wednesday, center Chet Holmgren reportedly agreed to a fully guaranteed five-year maximum rookie contract extension worth up to $250 million.

The Thunder made another move on Thursday. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the team is signing Williams to a five-year maximum rookie contract extension that could reach $287 million.

Given that the former 12th pick earned his first All-Star selection last season and helped the Thunder win the title, the contract extension was predictable.

With around a billion between these three stars, however, it could create a problem in the future. The Thunder wouldn't be able to keep its core with the new CBA, which would likely lead them to avoid the second apron down the line. In 2012, OKC was in a similar situation with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

After Williams' new contract, fans shared their thoughts.

"This is gonna be a repeat of KD, Russ, Harden all over again. Someones going to have to go and break out somewhere else," a fan said.

"Second Apron coming to collect," another fan commented.

"CBA is going to wreck them man," one fan pointed out.

However, other fans don't think the league's CBA will be a problem for the Thunder.

"SGA, Chet, Dub all locked in within a week of each other. Let's see if OKC can turn this into a dynasty or not," a fan said.

"The Thunder going to be a problem for the next 5 years," someone commented.

"OKC said we’ll figure everything else out as we go along. Respect," another fan commented.

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Jalen Williams played through injury in the NBA Finals

Every fan watching the seven-game series between the Thunder and Pacers knew Tyrese Haliburton was playing through a calf strain. However, Jalen Williams recently said he played while hurt, as he couldn't let the chance pass.

According to the young forward, he suffered a wrist injury and couldn't shoot properly, so he had to change his shooting style.

"I kind of heard like a paper ripping noise," Williams said in a video he posted on YouTube on Tuesday (1:41). "My hand is just on fire, like the whole top of my wrist is on fire."

Williams didn't let the injury affect his availability. He helped the Thunder to win the championship. It has also been reported that he underwent a successful injury to repair his wrist.