The Oklahoma City Thunder lost two starters to long-term injuries in their 108-101 win over the LA Clippers on Sunday night. General manager Sam Presti announced Monday that guard Jalen Williams will undergo surgery for a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, while guard Cason Wallace will undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both players are expected to miss several months.
Williams was wheeled off the court on a stretcher after getting hurt on a drive late in the fourth quarter. Wallace left in the first quarter and did not return. The Thunder were counting on Williams to return to his All-Star form from the 2024-25 season and on Wallace to step into the starting lineup. Williams missed 49 regular-season games last season while recovering from wrist surgery and then injuring both hamstrings, and he played just five postseason games before OKC lost to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Western Conference finals. Wallace signed a five-year, $139 million extension just before the season began.
Emotions ran high inside the team, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander visibly tearing up on the court. Williams' 40-point performance in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals will be remembered in Oklahoma City for years.
The bigger issue is defense, the core of the Thunder's identity. After trading Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe over the summer, the losses of Williams and Wallace leave Oklahoma City perilously thin on the perimeter. With Alex Caruso the lone remaining elite perimeter defender, the team faces a difficult stretch as it weighs whether to make a move.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing