When looking at their transaction log over the summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't do much to bring in outside talent. Instead, they spent the summer cost-cutting to get below the second apron. Longtime staples in Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins waved goodbye.
That said, you could argue that the Thunder made the biggest offseason addition in the West — they're reacquiring All-NBA talent Jalen Williams.
I know, I know. You're probably rolling your eyes at how cheesy that sounds. Is it really an offseason addition if Williams has been in OKC for five seasons now? It's kinda cheating to spin his return to health as a summer splurge move that typically generates headlines, no?
While that's true at face value, let's not undersell how important
Williams' health is to OKC's whole operation. Last year turned out to be a wash for him — despite his best efforts to salvage things at the end. In order to secure one NBA championship ring, the 25-year-old sacrificed one of his prime seasons.
Originally hoping to be ready by Opening Night, a second wrist surgery sidelined Williams for the first month of the 2025-26 regular season. And then the hamstring problems popped up. Following New Year's, he started a brutal stretch of luck that most NBA players don't even typically experience. He sustained four hamstring strains — two on each leg — over the next five months.
The start-stop-start-stop nature of Williams' 2025-26 season absolutely derailed any chance at a Disney-esque ending of helping the Thunder go back-to-back. Instead, he was begrudgingly in street clothes in OKC's season-ending Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
All in all, Williams played in just 33 regular-season games and five NBA playoff games. Yikes. About as worst-case as you can get for someone who was previously incredibly durable. But enough about last season. This upcoming 2026-27 season, he and the Thunder hope he can return to his all-time trajectory.
If the Thunder hope to win a second NBA championship in three years, Williams must be reliable and in uniform. He's one of the franchise pillars that helped them skyrocket to the top quickly. You can't have another year like last season. Or bigger questions will start to loom.
Before Williams' injury-plagued year, many viewed him as Gen Z Scottie Pippen. He was the perfect Robin to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Batman. Heck, he even had 2025 NBA Finals MVP whispers for a little bit there. The Thunder badly need him to return to that level.
If Williams can return to form, then that's easily the biggest quote-unquote offseason addition this summer. At least in the West. The Thunder finished five wins shy of an NBA championship without an All-NBA talent. Now, they're adding one back to the fold on a — hopeful — consistent basis.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC's biggest NBA offseason addition? Jalen Williams' health
