822 million! The first 3rd player in NBA history, they are not like the Celtics!

On July 11, the Thunder announced a five-year early renewal contract with Jaylen Williams, the second leader of the team. The contract includes incentive clauses, up to $287 million! Before this, the Thunder successively renewed Alexander's contract with a super maximum salary of 285 million in 4 years and 250 million in 5 years (highest) contract with Homgren! The total renewal salary of the trio reached 822 million yuan, becoming the first trio in NBA history!

This season, the Thunder has shown the strength of the top team since the regular season, with 68 wins and 14 losses in the regular season, with a winning rate of 94.4% setting the first record in team history. The Rockets, second in the West, has reached 16 wins and set the largest victory difference in history, with a net win score of 12.87 points per game, surpassing the Lakers' 12.28 points in the 1971-72 season, and won the top of the NBA's historical net win score. Even the Warriors who won 73 wins and the Bulls who won 72 wins cannot do it. It is exaggerated to see that in the regular season, the Thunder swept 21 teams in the league, surpassing the Warriors' record of sweeping 20 teams in the 15-16 season, and winning the first place in NBA history. Not only that, in the cross-district game, the Thunder achieved an amazing record of 29 wins and 1 loss against the Eastern Conference team, and also ranked first in history. The regular season + playoffs won a total of 84 games, tied for the third place in NBA history; the regular season + playoffs averaged 11.9 points, ranking third in NBA history. In short, this Thunder is the top team in the NBA history level!

This team has a young lineup and is in the championship league. The oldest player in the team is Caruso and is only 31 years old. The three core members of the team, Alexander is 26 years old, Jaylenway is 24 years old, and Homgren is 23 years old. They have not reached their true personal peak. It is worth mentioning that the Thunder still holds 27 draft picks, including 15 first rounds and 12 second rounds! This means that the team can select rookies with great potential in the draft in the next few years and inject new vitality into the team. These draft picks can not only be used to directly select people, but also serve as bargaining chips to trade players with other teams and strengthen the team's lineup. The unique selection of projects is just a good operation, so that this team can remain competitive for a long time from now on!

They are not like Celtics!

Now that the three core teams, Alexander, Homegren and Jaylenway, have signed a contract renewal of $822 million. Many people can't wait to compare them with the Celtics after winning the championship last year, believing that they will become the next Celtics! But after careful study, we can find that these two teams are completely different, and the Thunder are not like the Celtics!

First of all, the player's own factors are the first point. Although the Celtics won the championship in 24 years, Porzingis' injury has always been a hidden danger. If he had not returned in the finals, the Celtics would not have been the Mavericks' opponent. And the core of the outside line Holiday was born in 1990 and Horford was born in 1986. They have all reached the end of their careers. These three played an important role in the Celtics' winning of the championship last year. If the Celtics want to play all their strength, these three must ensure that they play healthy, otherwise the result will be the result of being eliminated by the Knicks in the second round this year. You should know that before Tatum's Achilles tendon ruptured, the Celtics were already 2-1 behind, and they were reversed by two consecutive home leads by 20 points. The poor condition of Holiday and Porzingis is the main reason for the team's loss. Injuries doomed the Celtics to be lonely! In contrast, the Thunder have sufficient lineup, and only one person has an average of more than 35 minutes of playing time in the regular season. They are far better than the Celtics in terms of age structure and health!

Secondly, Jaylenway and Holmgren are both rookies in 2022 and are still on rookie contracts next season. That is to say, although the Thunder now gives them a maximum salary renewal, it will not take effect until the 26-27 season. This renewal has no impact on the Thunder. If the team can get what they want next season and the growth of Holmgren and Jaylenway meets expectations, then the team can keep them and strive to create a dynasty of three consecutive championships. At this time, it is worth paying a luxury tax. Take a step back and say that even if you don’t win the championship next season and your results are not as good as you expect, you can still initiate a transaction and use your picks to go to Taobao for the draft market. In the future, many years will be a year of drafts, and repairing them can still win the championship. This is also something that the Celtics do not have!

To sum up, the situation of the Thunder is completely different from that of the Celtics. Although they have given multiple super maximum salary renewal contracts, the Thunder players are younger and healthier, and their salary operational space is far better than the Celtics! As long as Homegren and Jaylenway can grow steadily, this team really has the opportunity to create the second three-game winning streak in the new century! If you have any opinions, please leave a message to discuss!