On a random late October night, the Oklahoma City Thunder had both their season — and really, franchise — trajectory completely changed. Jalen Williams sustained a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle in an Oct. 25 win over the LA Clippers. He's had surgery to fix both.
Considering how gruesome the scene was, most assumed Williams would be out for the 2026-27 season. His leg snapped backward and needed to be stretchered off. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander covered his tears with his jersey. Chet Holmgren was in shock. Alex Caruso was mad at fate.
But following his surgery, the Thunder left the door open. Williams will be re-evaluated before the 2026-27 regular season ends. Well, that's interesting. Of course, that doesn't mean he'll for sure come back
like a Marvel superhero to help OKC make an improbable playoff run. But it leaves the thought in your mind for the next six months.
Top NBA expert/insider Zach Lowe added fuel to the fire. He recently said on his The Ringer NBA podcast that Williams still has a slim chance to return before the 2027 NBA playoffs — as unfathomable as that sounds considering how traumatic the injury was for both himself and everybody who watched it.
"I'm not closing the door on J-Dub returning in the playoffs. Assuming they make the playoffs. I'm expecting them to be out for the season, because we all saw what happened," Lowe said. "Based on what I've heard, I'm not closing the door until the Thunder actually publicly closed it."
I guess we'll just see how things look in April. Both with Williams' lengthy recovery and where the Thunder are in the NBA standings. If they can hold down the fort as a top-four seed, you just never know. That said, I don't think OKC will recklessly rush him back for this upcoming postseason run.
We just truly don't know. Only time will tell. But the Thunder purposely not ruling Williams out for the entire 2026-27 season — along with Cason Wallace as he had surgery to repair a torn labrum he sustained the same night — was a conscious decision to make.
"I'm not closing the door on J-Dub returning in the playoffs… based on what I've heard, I'm not closing the door until the Thunder actually publicly close it."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 3, 2026
Zach Lowe on the possibility of Jalen Williams coming back for the playoffs 👀
(via @ringer) pic.twitter.com/uaUAkkIMZQ
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA insider 'not closing the door' on Jalen Williams returning by 2027 NBA playoffs
