The Oklahoma City Thunder have confirmed that Jalen Williams needs surgery on a broken left fibula and a dislocated left ankle, suffered in their 108-101 win over the LA Clippers on 25 October, US time. Cason Wallace, hurt in the same game, needs surgery on a torn left labrum. Neither has a timetable yet, and NBA.com said both could miss the rest of the season. They headline a rough first week of the 2026-27 season that has also sidelined Kawhi Leonard, Jalen Suggs and Ben Sheppard, while Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. both left a game early.
Two blows in one night for OKC
Williams landed awkwardly on a drive with 1 minute 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter and went down under the basket. Medical staff reached him almost immediately, his ankle was draped in towels, players from both teams reacted with disbelief as a stretcher came out, and the game was stopped for about five minutes.
Thunder executive Sam Presti told a news conference on 26 October that Williams's return date will only be set after surgery; the same goes for Wallace, although such procedures typically mean several months of rehabilitation. “Dub, as everybody knows, is as tough as they come,” Presti said, adding: “Most importantly, things could have been a lot worse.” He said he had not yet thought about the roster spot.
Background: a champion with a long injury file
Williams averaged 17.9 points over 251 games in his first five seasons, has been an All-Star and an All-NBA pick, made the All-Defensive team in 2024-25, and scored 40 points in Game 5 of the Finals as the Thunder won the 2025 title. In 2025/26, wrist and hamstring problems limited him to 33 regular-season games. Wallace made the All-Defensive team that season.
Injuries have hit OKC hard in recent years: Chet Holmgren missed what would have been his rookie season with a foot problem, and Nikola Topić, the team's 2024 first-round pick, played just 10 games in two seasons because of a torn ACL and then testicular cancer. Even so, the Thunder started this season as co-favourites with the San Antonio Spurs and opened with convincing wins over the Spurs and the Denver Nuggets. NBA.com noted they still have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and rotation players such as Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain and Alex Caruso, and could apply for a disabled player exception or use their stock of future draft picks in a trade.
The rest of the injury list
| Player | Team | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder | Broken left fibula, dislocated left ankle | Surgery, no timetable |
| Cason Wallace | Oklahoma City Thunder | Torn left labrum | Surgery, usually several months of rehab |
| Kawhi Leonard | Toronto Raptors | Left knee swelling, no acute injury | Out at least a week |
| Jalen Suggs | Orlando Magic | Mild right knee bone bruise | Re-evaluated in two weeks |
| Ben Sheppard | Indiana Pacers | Torn meniscus | Surgery set for 28 October, US time |
| Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz | Right wrist | MRI set for 27 October, US time |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Utah Jazz | Right knee | MRI set for 27 October, US time |
Leonard, 35, has a long history of knee trouble and was a late scratch for Toronto's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 25 October. The Raptors said on 27 October that tests found no acute injury and that he would follow a treatment and rehabilitation programme for the swelling. The two-time Finals MVP was traded back to Toronto by the Clippers in the summer of 2026 and signed a $115 million extension that can run through 2028-29 at his option. In two games this season he averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals, but shot only 32%.
Suggs was hurt in the fourth quarter of Orlando's game at New York on 25 October; the MRI showed no other structural damage. Coach Rick Carlisle gave the update on Sheppard before Indiana's game at Milwaukee on 26 October; the guard played in the season-opening 123-120 win at New Orleans but has not featured since. The Pacers were also without Andrew Nembhard because of a back problem, and Ivica Zubac sprained his left ankle in a 136-109 win at Brooklyn.
In Utah, Markkanen and Jackson both went off early in a 110-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on 26 October. Markkanen left holding his right wrist with 5 minutes 58 seconds left in the first quarter after his arm was sandwiched between Jackson and Cam Boozer. Jackson went off with 10 minutes 4 seconds left in the second quarter with a right knee injury. He played only three games for Utah in 2025/26 before season-ending surgery on his left knee.
What comes next
Williams and Wallace will only get return timetables after their operations, and the Thunder must decide whether to rely on their depth or trade for a wing. Sheppard has his surgery on 28 October, US time, Suggs is re-evaluated in two weeks, and the Markkanen and Jackson scans should show how long Utah will be without two of their leading players.