Grading OKC Thunder Move to Extend Jaylin Williams

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been busy this week. On top of winning the franchise title in team history, the Thunder have concluded the NBA Draft, introduced the rookies to the local media, made a trade and re-signed two important bench pieces.

A jam-packed seven days to say the least, as today marks the one-week anniversary of the Thunder knocking off the Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals.

One of the items on the agenda for the Thunder since hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy is inking Jaylin Williams to a contract extension.

Oklahoma City declined the team option on Williams before re-signing him to a three-year $24 million contract extension to secure his long-term future in Bricktown.

Grading the Deal for the OKC Thunder

Williams has been a high-end outcome for his No. 34 draft slot in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Arkansas product has developed into a high-level low-volume 3-point shooter, a far cry from his college production, shooting 39% from beyond the arc in his NBA career to date.

His ability to draw charges and improved athleticism to wall up around the rim have vastly improved his defense this season, while his high-post playmaking keeps the Thunder's secondary offense in rhythm.

On top of his on-court production, including helping Oklahoma City defeat Denver with his defense on Jokic, this signing means as much off the floor.

Williams is a vocal leader in the Thunder's locker room, so much so that following a Game 4 comeback in Indiana during the NBA Finals, Mark Daigneault highlighted the Arkansas big man as a voice that kept the team together in a tight spot.

"I'm always impressed by our team. Great poise, great confidence, great connection. The communication on the bench I thought was outstanding. Most of the guys that weren't playing I thought…J Will had an unbelievable voice tonight in a lot of those huddles. When you're on the road like that, it's just you. That's your unit. Those guys did a great job staying in it because that was a hard game, a hard game for us. We could just not get a lot going, especially the third. Just to hang in there, just kind of showed who we are," Daigneault said postgame. "I didn't think it was anything different from what we've been, but we definitely showed who we were in that situation."

That is a story that summarizes Williams perfectly. After playing a massive role in the Thunder's Round 2 win, the third year big man saw limited action in the final two rounds. That never stopped him from being engaged with the team and a great teammate. That in a nutshell is the sacrifice title teams always reference.

The Thunder not only keep a great teammate around in its quest to repeat and beyond, if it becomes necessary down the line, this deal is extremely movable for Presti and company. Though Williams has the feel of a Thunder-lifer.

Grade: A+