Thunder injuries: Williams and Wallace out for months

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without two starting guards for several months. General manager Sam Presti said Monday that Jalen Williams will have surgery for a dislocated left ankle and a fractured fibula, and Cason Wallace will have surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both are expected to miss extended time.

The injuries came in Sunday's 108-101 win over the LA Clippers. Williams was hurt on a drive to the basket late in the fourth quarter and left the court on a stretcher. Wallace exited in the first quarter and did not return. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was seen in tears on the court after Williams went down.

Williams was averaging 40 points in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals on a shooting wrist that later required surgery. He missed 49 regular-season games last season while recovering from that wrist procedure and hamstring injuries, then played five games and 107 minutes in the playoffs as the Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Western Conference finals. Wallace signed a five-year, $139 million extension shortly before this season started.

Oklahoma City entered the season 3-0. The Thunder led the league in defensive rating each of the past two seasons and ranked second in 2026-27 through three games. ESPN's Zach Kram wrote that the Thunder's perimeter defense is now down to Alex Caruso among recent All-Defensive honorees, after summer trades sent Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins elsewhere. Caruso has averaged 18.8 minutes per game in the regular season with the Thunder and 24.1 in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City could receive a $15 million disabled player exception, which would allow a signing or trade for a player in the final year of his contract. Using more than $6.9 million would push the Thunder past the second apron, though the team is not hard-capped. The Thunder also hold trade exceptions of $17.8 million, $11.3 million and $9.2 million, plus seven tradeable first-round picks, three of them in 2027, and 21 second-round picks.

Kram identified several possible targets, including Herb Jones of New Orleans, Justin Champagnie of Washington, and De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II of Golden State, who become eligible to be traded after Dec. 15. Bobby Marks wrote that Oklahoma City's 39-10 record without Williams last season shows the team can remain competitive. Kram projected the Thunder to finish third in the West.