Overview
- OKC listed Jalen Williams out for Friday’s game against the Jazz, his 17th straight absence after a late-October procedure to remove an irritating screw from his surgically repaired right wrist.
- He has not played this season following offseason repair of a torn scapholunate ligament, with reporting indicating he is nearing a return but without a set debut date.
- The Thunder are 15–1 with the league’s best record, buoyed by Ajay Mitchell’s larger role and production of 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.2 minutes per game.
- Having already missed 16 games, Williams would need to play every remaining regular-season game to reach the 65-game awards threshold, a path described as extremely unlikely.
- His five-year rookie max is projected to start around $41.5 million next season, and the reduced likelihood of award triggers could save roughly $8 million in 2026–27 as OKC maintains flexibility with $77 million in non-guaranteed contracts and ample draft capital.