The gruesome lower-leg injury that led to Oklahoma City Thunder standout Jalen Williams being taken off the court on a stretcher on Sunday, Oct. 25, will cost him a significant portion, if not all, of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Williams suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in his left leg, Thunder general manager Sam Presti confirmed in a Monday, Oct. 26, press conference. Presti said the injury will require surgery but did not provide a timeline for Williams' potential return to the team.
Presti called the injury one that's more associated with contact sports like football, but added that he'd been in contact with Williams, who was determined to move forward.
"He's as tough as they come. He's an elite competitor," Presti said. "Even last
night, just miraculous in terms of his outlook in the way he's looking forward to attacking this. And, you know, we're going to be with him the entire way."
Of the injury, Presti said, "things could have been a lot worse." Presti evoked past injuries that have cost the team's stars significant time, including Williams battling multiple injuries last season and Chet Holmgren losing his rookie season to a foot injury.
Presti said "he hadn't given a lot of thought" to any roster moves in response to the loss of a key player this early in the season. Williams is a career 17.9 point-per-game player who made the NBA All-Star Game in his last healthy season in 2024-25.
Cason Wallace injury update: Labral tear will require surgery
Presti also gave an update on fourth-year guard Cason Wallace, who has a left labral tear in his shoulder that will require surgy and sideline one of the Thunder's top defenders for an undetermined amount of time.
Wallace finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in the 2025-26 season.
How Jalen Williams broke his fibula, dislocated his ankle
Williams' injury occurred after an awkward landing under the basket with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter in the Thunder's 108-101 home victory over the Clippers.
Williams went up for a dunk at the 1:15 mark in the fourth quarter and was fouled by Clippers guard Kris Dunn, who came in hard from behind while Derrick Jones Jr. was guarding Williams underneath.
Williams' left foot rolled under his leg upon landing, and it was immediately clear that he had suffered a significant injury. A team official was seen coming over to place a towel over Williams' leg as he was quickly attended to by an athletic trainer, while Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren reacted in shock nearby.
The tone in Paycom Center immediately changed in the arena as members of both teams began to turn away, while Thunder players could be seen getting emotional over the scene.
OH NO 💔
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2026
Jalen Williams suffers a serious lower-leg injury after an awkward landing.
pic.twitter.com/94x3rJvUn1
The crowd was heard chanting "JDub" before the 25-year-old All-Star was carted off the court on a stretcher. He was seen giving two thumbs up to the fans in the arena.
Known as a versatile two-way player, Williams won a championship with the Thunder in 2025 and was named to the All-NBA third team and the All-Defensive second team for the 2024-25 season. Williams is one of Oklahoma City's premier ball handlers and offensive engines, and he is often the primary creator when Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the bench.
"I just feel bad for him," Gilgeous-Alexander said, while fighting tears in his postgame interview. "... We just got to hold the fort down until he comes back."
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was asked for the status of injured players, including Williams, after the game. Daigneault said that Williams' injury "speaks for itself."
“Those are tough, man," Daigneault said when talking about the feeling in the locker room. "We're not doing great.”
The coach thanked the fans for their support of Williams and chanting his name after the injury.
“I think anybody that's in the arena can empathize with that," Daigneault said. "So appreciate our fans for doing so.”
Jalen Williams injury history
Williams was limited to just 33 regular-season games and five playoff appearances during the 2025-26 season as he recovered from two wrist surgeries and suffered multiple hamstring strains.
Williams has dealt with lower body injuries throughout his career, including ankle injuries in 2024 and hip injuries in early 2025. He also had a previous wrist injury in 2023.
Jalen Williams career stats
- Games: 250
- Starts: 237
- Minutes: 7,735
- Points: 4,497
- FG: 1,743-for-3,432 (.508)
- 3PT: 326-for-871 (.374)
- FT: 685-for-848
- Rebounds: 1,152
- Assists: 1,110
- Steals: 334
- Blocks: 136
- Turnovers: 460
- Fouls: 596
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thunder star Jalen Williams has fractured fibula, dislocated ankle after gruesome injury
