Thunder star Jalen Williams is no longer on the injured list and is slated to make his season debut Friday night when Oklahoma City hosts the Phoenix Suns.
Williams underwent wrist surgery in July to repair ligament damage and then had a second surgery in late October to remove a screw that was irritating in the wrist.
Williams, 24, injured the wrist late in the 2024-25 regular season and he played 23 games in the postseason despite the pain. He averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds to help Oklahoma City win the NBA title.
Williams was a first-time All-Star, a third-team All-NBA selection and a second-team All-Defense selection last season when he established career bests of 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 69 games. He also set career highs of 124 3-pointers, 111 steals and 46 blocked shots.
Because of this season’s 19-game layoff, the fourth-year-pro will ineligible for postseason honors as he is already guaranteed to fall short of the 65-game threshold.
The Thunder have been dominant without Williams and own a 10-game winning streak. Oklahoma City opened the season with eight straight wins and then led by 22 points in their lone as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied for a 121-119 home win on Nov. 5.
