After months of a grueling rehab process, Jalen Williams can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday that he underwent a follow-up procedure on his right wrist to remove a screw that was creating irritation during the final stages of his return to play process.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Steven Shin at Cedars-Sinai Health in Los Angeles, California. Thunder medical personnel present. Williams will be re-evaluated in 10-to-14 days.
Under this latest update, the earliest Williams can return is around Nov. 9. That means he’s set to miss around the first 15 games of the 2025-26 regular season. Give or take.
Williams continues to recover from the offseason wrist surgery he had in July. After the Thunder captured the 2025 NBA championship, it was revealed that he played through their entire playoff run with torn wrist ligaments.
Williams later detailed that he had to undergo pain-numbing before every playoff game. The 24-year-old needed to relearn how to shoot on the spot. Despite that, he was OKC’s second-best player in their quest. He added to his mythos when he dropped 40 points in a Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals.
Even though the Thunder have a perfect 6-0 record, Williams’ absence has been noticeable. The offense has stagnated without another efficient 20-plus point scorer. Meanwhile, the defense has had its lulls without one of its two All-Defense Team members.