Thunder lose $15M cap flexibility with two starters sidelined

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost two starters to long-term injuries in their 108-101 win over the LA Clippers on Sunday night.

General manager Sam Presti announced Monday that guard Jalen Williams will undergo surgery for a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, while guard Cason Wallace will undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both players are expected to miss several months.

Williams was placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the court after he was injured on a drive to the basket late in the fourth quarter. Wallace left the game in the first quarter and didn't return.

They're both big losses for the Thunder, who were counting on Williams to get back to his All-Star form from the 2024-25 season and Wallace to step into the starting lineup.

Williams missed 49 regular-season games last season while recovering from surgery on his right wrist and then injuring both hamstrings. He played in just five games, and 107 total minutes, in the postseason as OKC was beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Western Conference finals.

Wallace signed a five-year, $139 million contract extension just before the season began.

How bad do these injuries hurt the Thunder, who are 3-0 and believe they have the talent to make it back to the NBA Finals?

Do they have flexibility to make a move to replace Williams or Wallace?

Emotional devastation, as evidenced by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tearing up on the court.

It's gut-wrenching any time a player suffers a gruesome injury, but hearts are especially heavy for Williams in Oklahoma City. This is a young star who has had horrific injury luck despite doing everything right in terms of conditioning and rehab.

Williams' performance during the 2025 title run, toughing it out with a shooting wrist that required surgery and still delivering 40 points in pivotal Game 5 of the NBA Finals, will always be legendary in Oklahoma City. His injury misfortune has been miserable since with recurring hamstring strains that robbed him of most of last season and this cruel twist a week into this season.

The Thunder are a tight-knit team that has had to deal with the emotional consequences that come with the business of basketball. It stung to see title-winning teammates Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins traded in salary-slashing deals. This injury causes a deeper pain that the Thunder will have to process while figuring out how to fill a massive hole in the lineup. Tim MacMahon