The 2024-25 NBA MVP award goes to Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The award was revealed on Wednesday by ESPN's Shams Charania, and Gilgeous-Alexander beat out Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic after a thrilling seven-game playoff series between those two.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 32.7 points per game while averaging 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the regular season. This postseason, he is averaging 29.2 PPG with 6.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds, so it's a well-deserved honor for the Thunder's best player.
This offseason SGA is eligible to sign an extension of four-years worth $293 million. But, with the NBA MVP win, the Thunder might have to pay nearly $100 million extra, as ESPN's Bobby Marks reported.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander met the super max criteria (All-NBA in 2 out of 3 years) last offseason but was ineligible to sign because he was short of the years of service criteria. He is eligible this offseason to sign a four-year $293M extension with OKC. Because he won MVP (and this would have applied to being named All-NBA this year), SGA is now eligible to sign a five-year $380M extension but would have to wait until the 2026 offseason.
So, now SGA could be in line for a $380 million supermax extension, and there is almost no question the Thunder will sign him to that deal to keep him around for the future.
The NBA MVP award also comes one day after the Thunder won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves as SGA scored 31 points in the 114-88 blowout win.
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