Thunder, Kenrich Williams agree to four-year contract extension

Williams, who will earn $2M this season, is in the final year of his current contract, so his new deal will begin a year from now and will run through the 2026-27 campaign. His $2M salary for 2022-23 had been non-guaranteed, but it’ll become protected as part of the extension agreement, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

According to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, the first three years of the extension will be guaranteed, while the fourth will be a team option.

Williams, 27, is an unlikely extension recipient. The veteran swingman, who began his college career at New Mexico Junior College and went undrafted in 2018, spent his first two professional seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans before being signed-and-traded to Oklahoma City in the Steven Adams deal during the 2020 offseason as a throw-in piece for salary-matching purposes.

After shooting just .371/.304/.489 in 85 games with New Orleans, Williams developed a more reliable 3-point shot in Oklahoma City, boosting his shooting percentages to .501/.391/.559 in 115 games over the last two seasons. He’s also a solid, versatile defender who has now averaged 21-plus minutes per game for four straight years.

Because his extension exceeds three total years (including the one left on his current deal), Williams will be ineligible to be traded for six months once he officially signs his deal.