The Oklahoma City Thunder can be a bit optimistic about the chances of a late-season return from one of their injured stars.
According to injury expert Jeff Stotts, who has worked with numerous NBA players before, the Thunder’s Cason Wallace situation is similar to Nicolas Batum’s in 2009.
Nicolas Batum is the only NBA player since 2005 to tear his labrum in-season, undergo surgery, and successfully return to the court during that same regular season.
In an eerie coincidence, Batum suffered his injury on October 25, 2009, the same calendar date that Wallace suffered his injury 17 years later.
“Since 2005, I have one recorded case of an NBA player tearing their labrum in-season, undergoing surgery, & returning in the same regular season: Nicolas Batum in 2009. Oddly enough Batum’s injury occurred on October 25, the same day that Cason Wallace sustained his injury,” Stotts wrote.
Thunder Hope Cason Wallace Returns Late This Season
That means there is hope Wallace could return in time for the All-Star break or later in the season.
During that 2009-2010 season, Batum missed 45 games before returning in January 2010. Thunder general manager Sam Presti has noted that Wallace faces an extended absence and could miss the remainder of the 2026-2027 season, but Batum’s recovery provides a glimmer of hope that a mid-season return is physically possible.
Wallace suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the first quarter of the Thunder’s game against the LA Clippers on Sunday.
Wallace injured the shoulder while trying to evade a moving screen set by Clippers center Isaiah Jackson. He immediately left the game and did not return.
Both Wallace and Jalen Williams suffered major, season-altering injuries during the exact same Sunday game against the Clippers.
Later in the game, Williams landed awkwardly and suffered a dislocated left ankle and a fractured fibula, requiring a stretcher and subsequent surgery.
Both players are key starters who underwent surgery and are expected to miss an extended period, likely several months but potentially the remainder of the season, heavily impacting Oklahoma City’s rotation and depth.
Thunder GM Sam Presti Opens Up On Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams Injuries
The Thunder have not envisioned themselves to be in this situation, but general manager Presti remains optimistic.
“Obviously tough night last night. There’s no way to paint that differently. I like to say — and we say within our walls all the time — there’s a difference between being positive and being optimistic,” Presti said in a press conference a day after the injuries happened.
“I’m not going to sit up here and say this is exactly where we want to be or this is exactly how we’d like to have it. But at the same time, we’re extremely optimistic about the recovery for both players. Most importantly, things could have been a lot worse.”
Nevertheless, the Thunder still have their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; however, his support has been severely depleted with minor injuries from Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren, and major ones with Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber.
The Thunder opened the season at 4-0 still, but their contender status is now in question as early as this season.
Injury Expert Delivers Good News For Injured OKC Thunder Star