Thunder lose two starting guards to surgery after beating Clippers

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost two starting guards to long-term injuries during a 108-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. General manager Sam Presti announced on Monday that Jalen Williams will have surgery for a dislocated left ankle and a fractured fibula. Cason Wallace will also undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Both players are expected to miss several months of action.

Williams was carried off the court on a stretcher after getting injured on a drive to the basket late in the fourth quarter. Wallace left the game in the first quarter and did not return. The Thunder enter this stretch of the season 3-0. Williams missed 49 regular-season games last year while recovering from right wrist surgery and hamstring issues. He played in only five postseason games for a total of 107 minutes as Oklahoma City lost to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Western Conference finals. Wallace signed a five-year, $139 million contract extension just before the season began.

The team has limited options to replace the two guards. Presti said the Thunder will likely receive a $15 million disabled player exception. Using more than $6.9 million of that exception would push the team over the second apron. The club also holds three trade exceptions worth $17.8 million, $11.3 million, and $9.2 million. Oklahoma City has seven tradeable first-round picks, including three in the 2027 draft, and 21 second-round picks available.

ESPN analyst Zach Kram noted that the Thunder are thin on the wing after trading Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe over the summer. The team has led the league in defensive rating in each of the past two seasons and ranks second so far in 2026-27. Losing Williams and Wallace removes two key perimeter defenders. Alex Caruso remains the primary elite defender on the perimeter, but he is load-managed to keep him fresh for the postseason. Caruso has averaged 18.8 minutes per game this season compared to 24.1 in the playoffs.

Potential trade targets include Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans and Justin Champagnie of the Washington Wizards. The Pelicans have moved Jones out of the starting lineup under new coach Jamahl Mosley. Champagnie is having a strong start to the season. The Thunder could also pursue De'Anthony Melton or Gary Payton II from the Golden State Warriors, who become trade-eligible after December 15. Kram suggested that Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn, who were involved in the collision that injured Williams, are also fitting targets because they are in the final years of their contracts.

Kram predicts the Thunder will fall to the No. 3 seed in the West, a drop from their top seed position in previous years. This would likely force them to meet the Spurs before the conference finals. Bobby Marks believes the team remains the top squad in the West, citing their 39-10 record without Williams last season and their current bench depth.