A unique piece that stands out in the Thunder’s reconstruction project, Kenrich Williams will reap the fruits of his labor. After having struggled to find a place in the NBA, the winger is about to extend his adventure in Oklahoma, where he will sign a nice little 4-year contract. The beautiful story is therefore not over between the Thunder and its player.
Everything has not always been easy for Ken, to whom nothing has been offered on a platter. Upon leaving high school, the player had not received any offers from NCAA First Division teams. After five years developing his skills on the university circuit, the player was then not drafted in 2018 and had to hang on to get a place in the League. For his first two seasons, he will navigate between NBA (with the Pelicans) and G-League, without really convincing. But his career will take a much better turn in 2020 with a proposal from the Thunder, who are then looking for guys to fill his supporting cast. Transferred in November of the same year, the adventure as with the Éclairs. Without being flamboyant, Williams makes a solid contribution off the bench with a few points, some long-range skill and defense. As unexpected as it is, the fit between the franchise and the player will take perfectly, to the point that he began to give us great declarations of love towards OKC a few months ago. The kind of stuff that can be embarrassing when the project is to try to develop a team of the future with young stars and a 27-year-old second knife publicly announces that he is planning for the long term in the franchise. .
ESPN Sources: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams has agreed on a four-year, $27.2 million contract extension. The deal, negotiated by @PensackSportscomes for an undrafted player who had no Division I offers out of high school.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2022
But as surprising as it may seem, the 27-year-old seems to be in the project in Oklahoma, as we can see with this news balanced by Woj: Kenrich will extend his contract for 4 additional seasons, for an amount of 27.2 million dollars. Not bad for a guy nobody wanted a few years ago and only got 2 million this year. Even though we know Sam Presti – general manager of the Thunder – and that does not exclude a trade from next year, the Thunder shows its desire to continue its journey with Williams. A great reward for the player, who should therefore continue to preview the development of one of the coolest projects in the League while making his contribution on the field. We note in passing that the Thunder is solidifying its collection of guys who bear the name of Williams, since the so-called Jaylin and Jalen (well, well) will also be there next season. Obviously, some names open more doors than others in Oklahoma. In the meantime, we can’t wait to see what Kenrich and (especially) his crew will produce next season.
Kenrich Williams had many obstacles to arrive in the NBA, but he never let go. His determination is now rewarded with a multi-season contract in an ambitious long-term franchise. With this good deal, the man with the silkiest mullet cut in the League surely sees himself more than ever finishing his career at OKC.
Sources : ESPN, NBC Sports