Explosive! $290 million over 4 years! The NBA's top maximum salary player

Congratulations! Congratulations.

Alexander has signed a 4-year, $285 million super max contract extension with the Thunder, averaging $71.25 million annually, with a peak salary of $78.77 million in the 2030-31 season.This deal surpasses Tatum’s (5 years, $315 million, highest annual salary $71.45 million), making Alexander the highest paid player in NBA history.

Originally, it was estimated that Alexander’s extension could reach $293 million over 4 years, with the final year’s salary exceeding $80 million; however, due to the salary cap increase for the 2026-27 season being less than expected (7% actual vs. 10% projected), the final deal was limited to $285 million over 4 years.

Notably, in February this year, Alexander parted ways with his agent and chose to represent himself. According to regulations, agent fees are 4% of the player’s contract, meaning that after signing the $285 million deal, Alexander saves nearly $12 million in agent fees.

Last season, Alexander achieved a grand slam: NBA championship, Finals MVP, regular season MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP, scoring title, and All-NBA First Team honors. Now, with this $285 million super max contract, this year marks a pinnacle in his career, fully reaching the peak of his life.

In the recently concluded 2024-25 season, Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1 block per game in the regular season, shooting 7.9 of 8.8 free throws per game; in the playoffs, he averaged 29.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and made 8.3 of 9.4 free throws per game.

NBA legend Paul Pierce praised Alexander, saying he has surpassed Durant and is the best player in Thunder history. Former Thunder player Paul George believes Alexander will become the next star to lead a new era in the league after LeBron, Durant, and Curry.

Born on July 12, 1998, Alexander is about to turn 27, with many prime years ahead; the only concern is whether the Thunder can maintain a highly competitive roster around him.

Next summer, both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will be free from their rookie contracts and will surely seek max deals...

In summary, it will be difficult for the Thunder to keep the core trio of Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren intact in the future, and a breakup may be inevitable!