Jalen Williams has spent much of his summer doing everything except what he really wants to do: play basketball. He’s been hosting camps across the state, keeping busy while Oklahoma City counts down to Media Day and then, about a month later, Opening Night.
For Williams, the focus is simple. After a season wrecked by injuries, he’s eager to get back to work and give the Thunder the kind of year they’ve been waiting for.
That excitement comes with a big caveat. Oklahoma City enters the 2026-27 season as a co-title favorite with the San Antonio Spurs, but the Thunder’s chances of getting back to the top again may hinge on one thing above all else: whether Williams can stay on the floor, especially with his hamstrings.
He already paid a heavy price for last season’s championship run. Williams played through a bum wrist during OKC’s 2025 NBA playoffs, then went through two wrist surgeries and four hamstring strains that limited him to 33 regular-season games. In the 2026 NBA playoffs, he appeared in only five of Oklahoma City’s games, and really only two of those came when he was fully healthy and able to finish the contest.
"I think not playing a lot last year had a lot more enthusiasm. I've been bored all summer," Williams said.
"I've been working out for basically a year without playing. So I'm excited."
The hope in Oklahoma City is that last year was an ugly one-off, not the start of a longer pattern. Williams is now entering his fifth season, and he wants to get back on track as one of the league’s top players. He’s been left off most of the major offseason player rankings, which makes sense after a year where his production was mostly wiped out by injury.
That lost season had real consequences for the Thunder. Williams’ stop-and-start year knocked OKC off course and helped derail any shot at repeating. When the Thunder finally ran out of answers, they fell to the Spurs in an epic seven-game series.
Now the Thunder are hoping for something they haven’t had enough of lately: normal health. Over the last two seasons, injuries have been a constant problem. Chet Holmgren and Williams have each missed significant chunks of time, and Oklahoma City is trying to get its decorated trio on the floor together for something close to a full season.
That means Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren all need to be at their best for most of the year. It matters even more after the Thunder trimmed their once-sturdy depth with several cost-cutting moves this summer.
For Williams, though, the bigger feeling right now is gratitude. He said, "It's just a blessing to be able to be in the NBA that long.
The average time in the NBA is about three years. It's one of those things where I'm blessed," Williams said.
"Just getting a second contract and being on the team. Be healthy and go on to play again."
In Other News...
Thunder Face A Lu Dort Problem That Goes Beyond Defense
The Thunders offseason shakeup left more than one hole to fill, but Lu Dorts exit may be the toughest to replace in ways that dont show up first on a scouting report. He was a regular starter, a First Team All-Defense selection in 2024-25 and one of the leagues most disruptive perimeter defenders, which is exactly why Cason Wallace is the natural name to surface as the next man up on that side of the ball.
Still, Dort gave Oklahoma City something extra that made him harder to replace than a pure stopper. His rebounding from the guard spot helped the Thunder finish possessions and get out in transition, and thats where the concern starts to widen beyond simple defense. Wallace can chase wings and pressure the ball, but the Thunder will have to find another way to make up for the second chances Dort created. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder May Face A Brutal Choice To Keep This Contender Together
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The pressure is only going to get sharper as the team plans for long-term sustainability and searches for ways to keep enough depth around its stars. Oklahoma City has already shown a willingness to make tough roster decisions when the math demands it, and the challenge now is balancing a championship window with the kind of financial strain that can force even the best teams into painful choices. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Fans Suddenly Have A Real Reason To Revisit Westbrooks Retirement
Russell Westbrooks retirement announcement landed with real shock value, especially for fans who had grown used to seeing the former Thunder star find one more chapter somewhere in the NBA. His last stop came with the Sacramento Kings, and even after that, there was reported curiosity about a possible return for a second season. Instead, Westbrook made the decision public himself, and the news immediately sent people back through the what-ifs tied to one of the most familiar names in Oklahoma City basketball history.
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 🡒]