Jalen Williams didn’t leave much room for debate in a recent social media game. When asked to compare his brother duo with a long list of other NBA sibling pairs, he went straight to yes - every single time.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star said he and Cody Williams are the best brother duo in the league, and he backed it up by quickly choosing their pairing over Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, Caleb and Cody Martin, Cam and Pat Spencer, Franz and Mo Wagner, Keegan and Kris Murray, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Julian and Justin Champagnie, Max and Cam Christie, Marvin and Marcus Bagley, Jrue, Aaron and Justin Holiday, Stephen and Seth Curry, and Amen and Ausar Thompson.
It’s the kind of answer that fits the moment. If you’re making it to the NBA, confidence isn’t optional. Jalen and Cody both arrived as recent draft lottery picks, and Jalen made it clear he isn’t shy about putting their name at the top of the list.
Jalen’s own rise has been anything but ordinary. He became an All-NBA-level player and a one-time NBA champion after helping the Thunder win the Larry O’Brien trophy as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Robin to his Batman. Even after an injury-hit season last year, the 25-year-old is still regarded as one of the league’s best at his position.
Cody Williams is still carving out his path. He was a double-digit scorer after the All-Star break last season while the Utah Jazz tanked, and he was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason. Now heading into his third season, he’ll get a fresh chance to show he can break through in a new NBA home.
If you were ranking the brother combinations by pure talent, Jalen and Cody Williams would probably land in the middle. One is already an All-NBA player, while the other is still working toward that level. That dynamic is familiar across the league, where these pairings often feature one established star and one player still trying to climb.
Still, the appeal is obvious. NBA brother duos are always a fun part of the landscape, and Jalen Williams didn’t hesitate for a second when it came to putting himself and his younger brother first.
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The roster shakeup left Oklahoma City with a bigger hole than the calendar suggests, and the Thunder now have to sort through nearly 70 minutes per game that disappeared when Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were traded away. It is the kind of loss that does not just change a rotation, it changes how a team can survive a night, especially when so much of the old balance came from reliable two-way minutes across the lineup.
Alex Caruso looms as the most obvious veteran stopgap, but he has long been more of an 18-to-22 minute reserve than a nightly load-bearing option, and pushing him much beyond that would invite real health concerns. So Oklahoma City may have to lean harder on younger players such as Jared McCain, Nikola Topic and Bennett Stirtz, betting that energy and development can cover some of the missing ground while the bigger question of who absorbs the rest of the workload hangs over the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Just Became A Much Tougher Thunder Contract Call
Amen Thompsons new deal in Houston only adds another layer to the Thunders long-term roster math, because it gives the market a fresh reference point for the kind of money rising young guards can command. For Oklahoma City, Cason Wallace sits squarely in that conversation after building a profile that looks much like Thompsons in terms of value to a contender, and it is no small thing for a team already staring at major payroll pressure down the road.
Wallaces situation is especially tricky because the Thunder have to balance keeping their core together against the reality of an expensive future roster. Whether his next payday comes through an extension or later in free agency, the price tag is likely to be significant, and Oklahoma City will have to decide how aggressively it wants to move before the discussion gets even more complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Created A Frontcourt Problem Fans Wont Love
The Thunders frontcourt picture got a lot more crowded after the team added first-round picks Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, a move that was meant to deepen the group but also tightens an already tricky rotation. Oklahoma City already has Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren in place, so the front end of the roster is not exactly short on bodies or options.
That leaves the coaching staff and front office with an uncomfortable balancing act over the course of the season. There is only so much room for young bigs to play and develop, and it is hard to imagine both rookies getting the kind of consistent minutes they need, which could force a difficult decision by the end of the year about who fits into the long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]