Kofi Inkoom
It seems that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, star player for the Oklahoma City Thunder and arguably the best player in the ongoing FIBA World Cup representing the Canadian Basketball team, is likely to remain with OKC for the foreseeable future.
Following his impressive 2022-23 season, during which he earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team, the interest from other teams in trading for Gilgeous-Alexander appears to have diminished.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, rival executives who previously thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might want to leave Oklahoma City less than a year ago seem to have abandoned that hope.
“All those rival executives who were hoping he would want out of Oklahoma City less than a year ago appear to have given up hope on that front,”
Around this time last year, there were speculations that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might have been looking to leave Oklahoma City.
He had been traded to the Thunder as part of the surprising Paul George-Clippers deal in 2019, and the team didn’t seem to be on a promising path at that time.
However, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s impressive performance, along with the emergence of Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams, and the upcoming debut of Chet Holmgren, it seems that Gilgeous-Alexander is now content staying with the Thunder.
He appears motivated to help the franchise return to its glory days, reminiscent of the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era.
Despite the Thunder finishing below the league average last season and missing the playoffs after a Play-In game loss, they remain a very young team.
They have a dynamic 30-point scorer in Gilgeous-Alexander who can lead a talented offensive lineup for years to come.
The Thunder’s 2023-24 season opener is scheduled for October 25 against the Chicago Bulls.
Outside of his Oklahoma City Thunder commitments, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Canadian national team faced a setback in the FIBA World Cup semi-finals as they were defeated by the Serbian team.
📺 Serbia put on a masterful all-around performance to knock off Canada and punch the first ticket to the Final!#FIBAWC x #WinForSrbija 🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/MtfU7Syff6
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 8, 2023
This loss now means that the Canadians will compete for a bronze medal against their neighboring North American country, the United States on Sunday.