The worst fears have been confirmed for the Oklahoma City Thunder following injuries Sunday night to key starters Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.
Williams has been diagnosed with a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, while Wallace has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday. Both players will require surgery and could miss the entire 2026-27 campaign, Charania added.
BREAKING: Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams has a dislocated left ankle
and fractured fibula; Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both will undergo surgery and be sidelined for several months — most, if not the entire season.
The injuries occurred during OKC’s 108-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. With just over a minute remaining in the contest, Williams landed gruesomely on a drive to the basket and had to be stretchered off the floor. Wallace exited the game early in the first quarter after injuring his shoulder while being hit by an Isaiah Jackson screen.
The injuries and lengthy return timetables for both players form a severe blow to OKC’s title hopes this season as one of the favorites in the Western Conference. Williams made the All-Star team during OKC’s 2024-25 championship season and serves as the No. 2 star on the roster behind two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, carrying career averages of 18 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Wallace — an NBA All-Defensive Second Team honoree last season — signed a five-year, $139 million rookie extension last week and had become a full-time starter this season after the offseason departure of Lu Dort.
