Jalen Williams is heading into his fifth NBA season with a different kind of buzz around him: not about what he can still become, but about getting back on the floor and doing it for a Thunder team that needs him.
After a 2025-26 season that never really let him get rolling, Williams says he feels healthy now and is grateful to still be in this spot with Oklahoma City. That matters a lot for the Thunder, who are once again being viewed as one of the favorites and are coming off a summer of major roster change. His role only grows from here.
Last season was a rough one for Williams. He appeared in just 33 regular-season games and five playoff games, a frustrating outcome for a player who was supposed to help carry the load as Oklahoma City tried to defend its title. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed a co-star, especially with Chet Holmgren having mighty struggles, but Williams’ injuries kept him from fully stepping into that secondary-star role.
Now, though, the outlook is different. Williams said he’s past the injuries that derailed the previous campaign and is eager to get going again.
"It's just a blessing to be in the NBA for that long already. The average time you're in the NBA is about three years, so it's one of those things I'm blessed enough to get a second contract, be on a good team, be healthy. I think I have more enthusiasm for basically a year without playing," Williams said in his youth basketball camp.
For Thunder fans, that’s the kind of update they were hoping to hear. With so much having shifted around him this offseason, Williams’ health suddenly feels even more central to what Oklahoma City wants to do next.
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Now the conversation has started to drift again toward whether the retirement is truly final. Zach Randolph has already floated the idea that Westbrook could still change course and come back to the league, which is enough to keep Thunder fans paying attention even without anything concrete in place. For a player whose career has always carried momentum, noise and constant movement, the idea of an exit may not feel settled yet. [Read more 🡒]