As the calendar is about to flip to August, we're amid the brutal part of the NBA's year-round schedule. August and September are when teams across the league go into vacation mode. Most of the offseason homework is done. We're just waiting around for the 2026-27 season to start.
Because of how jam-packed the NBA's regular-season marathon is, these next couple of months are when players develop the most. Not needing to play a game or travel every other day, the mundaneness of summer vacation gives guys ample chances to get real developmental reps.
You're seeing that right now with the Oklahoma City Thunder. They finished five wins shy of their back-to-back ambitions. But there's no reason to harshly judge how their playoff exit came about. After
going through some complementary roster changes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams must return to being All-NBA teammates.
The first step towards that? Syncing up in the offseason. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams have spent time together this summer. Various social media posts have revealed so. They're collabing with the two-time MVP's longtime trainer Nem Ilic. They took to Instagram to recently reveal that.
Cool to see Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams be on the same page. For Gilgeous-Alexander, it's about remaining one of the NBA's best players. The 28-year-old has had two straight MVP seasons and four straight 30-plus point campaigns. He must roll along with that type of production if OKC wants a chance to bring home another Larry O'Brien trophy.
And for Williams, it's about bouncing back from a lost year. He sacrificed one of his prime seasons for a ring. Two wrist surgeries and four hamstring strains absolutely sunk his spot as one of the league's top players. But the Thunder are banking that it was a one-year anomaly.
The Thunder remain one of the title favorites. Alongside the San Antonio Spurs. OKC's dreams rest on the shoulders of Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams.
Shai and Dub working out with Shai’s longtime trainer Nem Ilic, per his Instagram: pic.twitter.com/1Ave1BQjKp
— THE UNCONTESTED PODCAST (@The_Uncontested) July 30, 2026
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams conduct offseason workouts together
