All hands are on deck for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The carefully calculated house of cards they built for the 2026-27 season has collapsed. Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are out for most — if not all — of the year. Both sustained franchise-altering injuries in their win over the LA Clippers on Sunday.
Williams sustained a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle. Wallace sustained a torn labrum on his shoulder. Both had surgery to address it. They're going to be sidelined for the indefinite future. That's two of OKC's best four players and starters. Brutal. Just absolutely brutal.
Now, the Thunder are left scrambling. How can they salvage the 2026-27 season as things have completely gone off the rails before Halloween has even arrived? It
seems like the simplest solution might be the costliest — get outside help.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon broke down all of OKC's pathways for the rest of the year. One possible option? Getting a young player on a cheap, controllable contract. Not only could that help this season, but it could help in future years. Similar to how they acquired Jared McCain at the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
"One candidate suggested by a few league sources: Sacramento Kings wing Nique Clifford," MacMahon wrote for ESPN. "Who has bizarrely fallen out of coach Doug Christie's rotation after a promising rookie season."
Funnily enough, the Thunder actually drafted Clifford. He wore the OKC hat at the 2025 NBA draft when he was the No. 24 pick. But his rights were subsequently traded to the Kings. The 24-year-old averaged 8.6 points on 41.8% shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his rookie year. But is outside of Sacramento's rotation right now.
Considering Clifford is in the second year of a standard four-year rookie-scale contract, this does align with the friendly moves Sam Presti has typically made over the years. He'd be cheap depth to have for the next handful of years. And maybe a change of scenery will do him some good. If things are truly over on the Kings.
How can the Thunder, considering their financial crunch and Sam Presti’s long-term vision, respond to cruel injury luck? @WindhorstESPN and I checked into with execs and scouts around the league to explore the possibilities: https://t.co/YYVQszUXyX
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) October 30, 2026
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Rumor: OKC Thunder could look to trade for this young Kings player
