If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ever becomes available, it sounds like the Raptors will be interested.
According to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, Toronto is "closely monitoring" the situation in Oklahoma City, where Gilgeous-Alexander "may eventually tire of leading a rebuild." Lewenberg adds that Gilgeous-Alexander has given no indication that he wants to be traded from the Thunder, but "things can change quickly in this crazy league."
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Raptors seem to have interest in Gilgeous-Alexander. Not only is he one of the best young prospects in the NBA, but he's from Toronto and has played for the Canadian national team, which is coached by none other than the Raptors' Nick Nurse.
Does that mean Gilgeous-Alexander is destined to be a Raptor? Not exactly. He's under contract for several more seasons with the Thunder, and Toronto almost certainly wouldn't be the only team to give Oklahoma City a call if he ever becomes available, which, again, is no guarantee at this point.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Gilgeous-Alexander's situation, from just how good he is to if the Raptors would even have the assets to acquire him.
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How good is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
As already mentioned, Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best young prospects in the NBA.
Over the last two seasons, he has been good for 24.2 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent from 3-point range. Only 19 players have posted a higher scoring average during that span, a list that features megastars like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and LeBron James.
Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the fastest or most athletic player at his position, but what he lacks in those departments he makes up for it with his shiftiness and craft. He's got a deep bag of tricks for a 24-year-old, ranging from wrong-footed layups and smooth step-backs to well-timed pump fakes that will fool even the best shot blockers.
Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to shoot off the dribble from deep in the 2021-22 season, but he is a threat to score from all three levels. That's helped him become one of the NBA's premier pick-and-roll and one-on-one scorers. He was particularly devastating in isolation last season, with Luka Doncic being the only player in the league who scored more total points than him on those plays.
Gilgeous-Alexander does some truly funky stuff with the ball in his hands.
Scoring is Gilgeous-Alexander's bread and butter, but he's also a solid passer. He's gone from averaging 3.3 assists per game in his first two seasons in the NBA to 5.9 over the last two seasons. He does a good job of collapsing the defense and finding the open man on drives.
There are some injury concerns — Gilgeous-Alexander appeared in only 91 games in 2020-21 and 2021-22 — but he has legitimate star potential.
Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a point guard or shooting guard?
While Gilgeous-Alexander has logged most of his minutes to this point of his career at point guard, he shared the court with Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder in his first season in Oklahoma City, and he's now teammates with Josh Giddey, who is a more traditional point guard.
Basically, Gilgeous-Alexander is at his best when he's in control as the lead guard — he's become one of the highest usage players in the NBA — but he has experience playing off-ball as more of a shooting guard.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's contract details
It's going to be a while before Gilgeous-Alexander is a free agent.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a five-year, $172 million extension with the Thunder. His extension doesn't include a player or team option, so the soonest he will be an unrestricted free agent is in the 2027 offseason.
| 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | $30,913,750 | $33,386,850 | $35,859,950 | $38,333,050 | $40,806,150 | UFA |
For what it's worth, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked before the 2022-23 season about the speculation of him eventually wanting out of Oklahoma City because of "the losing." He said he knew what he signed up for when he agreed to the extension and that he doesn't think the Thunder will be losing for much longer. That sure doesn't sound like someone who is going to ask for a trade anytime soon.
The 2022-23 season could be another tough one for the Thunder, but there is a path towards them being more competitive in 2023-24 with the return of Chet Holmgren, the addition of another elite prospect through the draft and the continued development of players like Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey.
If all goes to plan, the Thunder still have the potential to build something really special.
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Would the Raptors have the assets to trade for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Toronto currently has the assets to go after almost anyone who could become available in the near future. That includes Gilgeous-Alexander.
In short, the Raptors tick three important boxes:
- They have a player every team would want. That player? Scottie Barnes. There's a strong chance the Raptors won't ever trade Barnes — this is your reminder that he was apparently off limits in trade discussions for Kevin Durant — but him alone would get them a seat at any table for a star.
- They wouldn't have a hard time matching salary. The Raptors have two players making over $20 million next season in Fred VanVleet ($21.3M) and Pascal Siakam ($35.4M). They also have a few players on mid-level salaries, such as Gary Trent Jr. ($17.5M), O.G. Anunoby ($17.4M) and Chris Boucher ($12.7M). It wouldn't be difficult for them to get up to $40 million in outgoing salary.
- They control all their first-round draft picks. The only pick the Raptors currently owe to another team over the next few years is a second-rounder.
The last point is particularly important for a team like the Thunder, who have clearly prioritized getting as many draft picks as possible in recent trades. (Also, you saw how many picks the Jazz got for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, right? Those deals might have set the trade market for the foreseeable future.)
An important note in Lewenberg's story is that the Raptors will be ready when an "enticing opportunity" presents itself. Perhaps that will be Gilgeous-Alexander, but it could very well be someone else.
