Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander with the Clippers in 2018

On June 21, 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander was selected with the eleventh overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 NBA draft, before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers the same day, in exchange for the pick after him (which ended up being Miles Bridges) and two future second-round picks.[16] He went on to play for the team in the 2018 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 19 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

On December 17, 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-best of 24 points in a 127–131 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.[17] On January 18, 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander tied his season-best of 24 points in a 112–94 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[18] Eleven days later, he was named a member of the World Team representing Canada for the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge.[19] On April 21, 2019, he scored a new career-high of 25 points in a 105–113 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the 2019 playoffs.[20]

On July 10, 2019, the Clippers traded Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for NBA All-Star Paul George.[21] On October 8, 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander made his preseason debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Dallas Mavericks. He recorded 24 points and four rebounds in a 119–104 win over the Mavericks. On December 22, 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a then career-high 32 points with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals in a 118–112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[22] On January 13, 2020, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his first NBA triple double with 20 points, 10 assists and a career-high 20 rebounds in a 117–104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the second player after Russell Westbrook to record a 20–20–10 statline in the last 30 years and the youngest ever to achieve it.[23][24]

Gilgeous-Alexander against the Wizards in 2022

On December 26, 2020, Gilgeous-Alexander put up 24 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and a game-winning jump shot in a 109–107 win against the Charlotte Hornets.[25] On February 24, 2021, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a then career-high 42 points to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a 102–99 win over the San Antonio Spurs.[26] On March 24, 2021, after playing 35 games, his season ended due to a tear in his plantar fascia.[27]

On August 3, 2021, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder agreed to a five-year, $172 million rookie extension; this contract ballooned to the five-year, $207 million rookie maximum extension when Gilgeous-Alexander was named to the All-NBA Team in May 2023.[28]

On December 18, 2021, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points and made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Thunder over his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, 104–103.[29] Four days later, he recorded his second career triple double, with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, in a 108–94 victory over the Denver Nuggets.[30] On December 27, Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 10 (December 20–26), his first NBA Player of the Week award. He led Oklahoma to a 3–1 week with averages of 27.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists.[31] On March 28, 2022, Gilgeous-Alexander was ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. [32] He finished the season averaging career highs of 24.5 points and 5.9 assists per game.[32]

On October 31, 2022, Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 2 (October 24–30), his second career NBA Player of the Week award. He led Oklahoma to an undefeated 3–0 week with averages of 31.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists.[33] On November 16, Gilgeous-Alexander tied a then career-high with 42 points, alongside a game-winning three-pointer, six rebounds and seven assists, in a 121–120 win over the Washington Wizards.[34] On December 19, Gilgeous-Alexander put up 35 points alongside a buzzer-beating game-winner in a 123–121 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[35] On December 23, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded a career-high 44 points, with 10 rebounds and 6 assists, in a 128–125 overtime loss against the New Orleans Pelicans.[36]

On February 2, 2023, Gilgeous-Alexander was named to his first-ever NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard for the Western Conference.[37] On February 4, he recorded 42 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks in a 153–121 win over the Houston Rockets.[38] On February 10, Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career-high with 44 points on 13-of-16 shooting from the field and 18-of-19 shooting from the free throw line in a 138–129 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He became the first player in Thunder history to score 40-plus points on 80% shooting.[39] Gilgeous-Alexander ended the season with a career-high 31.4 points per game average, joining Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only players in Thunder history to average at least 30 points per game in a season.[40] Shai became the second guard in NBA history behind Michael Jordan to average at least 30 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot while shooting at least 50 percent from the field. He subsequently became the youngest guard in NBA history to average 30 points on 50 percent from the field beating Michael Jordan’s record.[41][42] On May 2, Gilgeous-Alexander finished fifth in voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player.[43] He was also named to his first All-NBA First Team.[44]