Thunder’s Jalen Williams to undergo wrist surgery: Ready for 25-26

Jalen Williams to Undergo Surgery on Right Wrist

Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Jalen Williams will undergo surgery to repair a ligament tear in his right wrist, according to general manager Sam Presti. Williams, who has been dealing with the injury during the season, is expected to fully recover and be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season.

The original injury occurred in March, during a game against the Denver Nuggets, which forced him to miss two weeks of play. Despite the injury, Williams continued playing the rest of the season with his wrist bandaged, although the tape was hidden by the sleeve he wears on his arm. Williams averaged 21.4 points per game during the season, standing out with a 40-point performance in a key game against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.

What impresses me most is that, in our modern era, when someone performs poorly or isn’t playing to their ability in a game and there’s a lot of attention on it, you often see someone making sure everyone knows the player isn’t at 100 percent. It never happened with this guy, not once. He persevered. He showed incredible mental toughness and self-assurance.

Sam Presti, General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Williams, 24, is eligible to sign a rookie contract extension this summer, which could be worth up to $247 million over five years, with potential increases that could raise the value to $296 million.