So far, the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s quest to repeat as NBA champions is off to a good start. The Thunder have breezed through their first two playoff series, sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers out of the postseason entirely. The degree of difficulty will increase in the Western Conference Finals, but OKC is still the overwhelming favorite to win a title this year.
Making the Thunder’s early dominance even more impressive is the fact that they have largely had to find a way to win without Jalen Williams on the court. Williams suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain back on April 22, and he’s been out of action ever since then. However, he appears to be making some serious progress when it comes to his quest to suit up for Oklahoma City’s upcoming series.
Jalen Williams Spotted at Thunder’s Latest Practice
“He’s progressing. Same stuff. I’m not going to give you the blow-by-blow on the details, but he continues to
During the Thunder’s championship run last year, Williams enjoyed a star turn that helped power his team to the top of the NBA’s proverbial mountain (21.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.1 APG, 48.4 FG%). Not only did Williams earn his first All-Star selection, but he also earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team and All-Defense Second Team.
The 2025-26 campaign has been much more difficult for Williams. Thanks to a slew of injuries, he was limited to just 33 games during the regular season, with his numbers dropping as a result (17.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, 48.4 FG%). That has carried over in the playoffs, as Williams managed to suit up for just two games against the Suns before he was forced back to the sidelines.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has largely managed to carry the load in Williams’ absence, although he has also benefited greatly from Ajay Mitchell’s sudden breakout. If this team wants to win the Finals again, though, it’s going to need Williams on the court. The good news for the Thunder is that he appears to be close to making his return, as Williams was spotted at the team’s latest practice session on Friday, although the extent of his work was largely kept under wraps.
“He’s progressing,” head coach Mark Daigneault said when asked about Williams’ injury status. “Same stuff. I’m not going to give you the blow-by-blow on the details, but he continues to make progress and is doing a great job.”
When Could Jalen Williams Return for the Thunder?
GettyOklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams is still coming back from an injury, and his timeline may shift.
Williams is making good progress in his injury rehab, but it doesn’t seem like he’s over the hump just yet. It would probably be a stretch to expect him to be ready to go for Game 1 of the WCF, but a return at some point midway through the series (maybe Game 3 or Game 4) seems like a reasonable timeline at this stage of the game.
The Thunder haven’t had any need to rush Williams back into action, simply because they haven’t lost a single game yet this postseason. Once (or if) the team loses that first game, though, the sense of urgency will increase in the blink of an eye. Williams hasn’t been needed yet, but that’s going to change soon, which makes his injury status worth keeping tabs on as the team’s upcoming series draws near.
Thunder Receive Major Jalen Williams Injury Update After Sweeping Lakers