Thunder guard Jalen Williams faces season-ending surgery for broken fibula and ankle dislocation
Oklahoma City announced that guard Jalen Williams will undergo surgery for a fractured left fibula and dislocated ankle, likely sidelining him for the remainder of the season, while forward Cason Wallace also requires surgery for a labral tear.
Oklahoma City guard Jalen Williams will undergo surgery to repair a broken left fibula and a dislocated left ankle, the Thunder said on Monday. General manager Sam Presti said there is no timetable for his return and, given the severity of the injuries, it is reasonable to expect Williams to miss the rest of the season.
"Dub, as everybody knows, is as tough as they come. He’s an elite competitor. Even last night, just miraculous in terms of his outlook and the way he’s looking forward to attacking this. We’re going to be with him the entire way," Presti said at a news conference in Oklahoma City.
The announcement came alongside news that forward Cason Wallace will also need surgery to repair a left labral tear sustained in the Thunder’s 108-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers the previous day. Wallace’s recovery is expected to take several months.
"Tough night last night. There’s no way to paint that differently. We say within our walls all the time there’s a difference between being positive and being optimistic. Not going to sit up here and say this is exactly where we want to be or this is how we’d like to have it, but at the same time, we’re extremely optimistic about the recovery for both the players. Most importantly, things could have been a lot worse," Presti added.
The Thunder have dealt with multiple significant injuries in recent seasons, including Chet Holmgren’s missed rookie year and Nikola Topic’s limited play due to an ACL tear and cancer treatment. Williams, a former All-Defensive team selection, was injured with 1:14 left in a game against the Clippers, prompting a brief stoppage as medical staff attended to him.
"I haven’t thought about anything related to the roster spot," Presti said when asked about potential roster moves.
The team, a co-favorite with the Spurs to win the NBA title this season, may later consider applying for a disabled player exception or leveraging draft assets, but those decisions are pending.