Jalen Williams will have to wait a little longer before returning to the court for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The All-Star guard/forward, who played a major role in last season’s championship run, underwent a follow-up procedure this week to remove a screw from his surgically repaired right wrist. The Thunder said the screw was causing irritation as Williams ramped up his activity. He’s expected to be re-evaluated in about 10 to 14 days.
Both the original surgery in July and this week’s procedure were performed by Dr. Steven Shin at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, with Thunder medical staff on hand. Williams initially tore a ligament in his shooting wrist late last season but continued to play through the injury during Oklahoma City’s playoff push.
Despite being without Williams, the Thunder have stormed out to a 6-0 start. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is once again among the league’s scoring leaders, and second-year guard Ajay Mitchell has stepped into a bigger role, averaging 18.5 points per game off the bench.
Williams, 23, averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game last season. He earned All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive Second Team honors and was electric in the Finals against Indiana, averaging 23.6 points and 5.0 rebounds, including a 40-point performance in Game 5.
He signed a rookie extension over the summer that includes supermax escalators if he repeats as an All-NBA selection, a goal that will require him to play at least 65 games. Williams will miss at least the first 11 contests of the season before another evaluation determines his next step.