Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Still Be OKC Thunder’s Best Player Years Down the Road?

In the franchise’s short time in Oklahoma City, some absolute legends have donned Thunder colors. Many Hall of Famers have played for the team already — which is a rarity in a small market and a franchise so young. 

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both won MVP awards during their time with the Thunder, and Paul George and Chris Paul received votes, too. Even a future Hall of Famer like Carmelo Anthony spent time with the team. But this season — including his body of work over the last few seasons, too — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might’ve left everyone else in the dust.

Gilgeous-Alexander completed the trifecta — MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP, and Finals MVP all in the same season. The superstar took the franchise to brand new heights, bringing home the first championship in Thunder history. SGA has averaged 30 points per game in three consecutive seasons and has notched All-NBA First Team honors in each of the last three seasons.

The championship will always stand out on his resume, though, and there’s room to add to the trophy case, too. He certainly didn’t do it alone, though, which begs the question: Will Gilgeous-Alexander still be the best player on the Thunder’s roster three years from now?

Bleacher Report predicted every NBA team’s best player three years down the line recently. There were a handful of easy conclusions, and a few tough ones to decide between. It’s safe to say that the Thunder write up was potentially the easiest decision of all time.

Of course, Gilgeous-Alexander was listed as the Thunder’s best projected player three years from now. At 27 years old, the superstar is just entering his prime, and his skillset should age like fine wine. He doesn’t rely on athleticism or speed, and plays at his own pace. He should be able to continue doing what he’s doing in Oklahoma City for a long time.

“It's possible SGA will cede touches and shots to his OKC teammates in the coming years—both as an acknowledgment of their worthiness and as a means to lighten his load during what should be multiple deep playoff runs,” Grant Hughes wrote. “But Gilgeous-Alexander would have to suffer a pretty substantial decline to lose his grip on the title of Oklahoma City's best player.

“The opposite, further growth, is actually more likely. Gilgeous-Alexander has quietly improved his game over the last handful of seasons, adding unmatched foul-drawing craft in 2022-23, setting a career mark with 2.1 made triples per game last year and juicing his assist rate to a personal-best 9.0 per 100 possessions in 2024-25. With a trajectory like that, why would anyone bet against SGA adding even more layers to his game over the next three campaigns?”

The two other worthy candidates on the roster — who would’ve taken the top spot on a handful of other teams across the NBA — are Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Holmgren has the unique skillset and size that you can’t teach. He’s a one-of-a-kind player that will be one of Oklahoma City’s most important pillars moving forward. He likely won’t have the volume to ascend to the level that Gilgeous-Alexander is on — and that’s probably a good thing for both him and the Thunder. He can contribute to championships while racking up individual accolades along the way.

Williams has ascended to Top 20 status as an All-Star, All-NBA player, and All-Defensive player. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, he has added more to his game every offseason, too. There’s a real chance he continues to ascend and becomes a Top 10 player in the league, a perennial All-Star, and one of the fixtures of USA basketball. But if Gilgeous-Alexander continues the path that he’s on, you’d have to be considered the best player in the world to overtake him.