SGA: 'I can't see a world where I'm not in Oklahoma City'
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be more than happy to remain with the smaller-market Oklahoma City Thunder for the rest of his career.
"I can only speak for myself. I love Oklahoma City, and I can't see a world where I'm not in Oklahoma City," he told reporters Wednesday after the Thunder's 129-122 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, courtesy of The Athletic's Jason Lloyd. "I'm comfortable where I am. I like where I am. I love the people in the organization, love the people around me, and those are the things that matter.
"I go to work every day with a smile on my face. Me personally, the market doesn't matter. The money doesn't matter to a certain extent. But as long as I enjoy what I'm doing at a very high level, I love the people that I'm around doing it."
Gilgeous-Alexander is in his sixth season with the Thunder after arriving in the July 2019 trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. He finished with a game-high 31 points, plus five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks against Cleveland.
The Canadian guard has evolved into a perennial MVP candidate in Oklahoma City. He finished second in voting behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic last season and is on pace to be heavily involved in the conversation again, averaging 30-plus points for a third straight year while leading the 30-6 Thunder to the best record in the Western Conference.
Thunder fans, though, may still be apprehensive about stars expressing a desire to stay long term.
Then-reigning MVP Kevin Durant said in 2015 during his eighth season with the franchise - his seventh in Oklahoma City following the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics - that he, too, loved the city and wanted to stick with the organization for the rest of his career.
However, in his free agency the following year, Durant infamously left Oklahoma City to sign with the Golden State Warriors, which had just blown a 3-1 series lead in the Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning 73 regular-season games.
In Gilgeous-Alexander's case, at least, Thunder fans won't have to worry about free agency for now. After this season, the 26-year-old has two more remaining on the max rookie contract extension he signed in August 2021, keeping him under contract through 2026-27.