Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes bold midseason change

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can now add “agent” to his growing list of accolades.

The Thunder star plans to serve as his own agent going forward, according to independent reporter Chris Haynes. Gilgeous-Alexander had previously been represented by Wasserman. Shai will reportedly be hiring different representation for “marketing and all off-the-court ventures.”

SGA is currently in the third year of a 5-year, $172 million extension he signed back in 2021. This offseason, the 3-time All-Star is eligible to sign a 4-year extension worth nearly $300 million.

The NBA Players Association currently has a 4% cap on how much commission agents can make from their clients’ contracts. Had he kept an agent, his representation would have been in line to receive as much as $12 million.

With Gilgeous-Alexander playing like a perennial MVP candidate over the last two seasons, it’s hard to imagine the Thunder giving their 26-year-old star anything but a supermax contract. SGA seems to feel the same way. Through 53 games, Shai has averaged an NBA-best 32.5 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks for the 44-10 Thunder.

Gilgeous-Alexander is not the first high-profile athlete who opted for the self-representation route. Fellow NBA star Joel Embiid and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson have also ditched the traditional agencies to handle contract discussions on their own.