The Oklahoma City Thunder will once again be without one of their most important pieces, with Jalen Williams sidelined for at least “a couple of weeks” due to a right hamstring strain.
The franchise confirmed the update on Monday after initially listing Williams as questionable with right thigh soreness following Saturday’s loss to the Miami Heat.
Williams exited that game in the second quarter and was seen grabbing his right hamstring as he limped off the floor, a moment that immediately raised concern given his recent injury history.
Jalen Williams is headed to the locker room after grabbing at his hamstring 😬 pic.twitter.com/OdBJL04iPT
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 18, 2026
The team later clarified that the injury was indeed a hamstring issue, putting his return timeline into early February if the recovery progresses as expected.
In that scenario, Williams would miss roughly seven games, which included Monday night’s dominant 136-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the situation with empathy, acknowledging how frustrating the timing is for a player who had already worked his way back from surgery earlier in the season.
“I always feel bad for guys,” Daigneault said via The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez. “This is their life, and they put so much work into it. In his case, he put so much work into getting back to the court. … It sucks, but you’ve got to play the ball where it is. That’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to put one foot in front of the other and attack the return to play, as he’s always done.”
Williams has been a central part of Oklahoma City’s success over the past two seasons.
After earning All-Star honors last year and playing a major role in the Thunder’s NBA Finals run, he entered this season already behind schedule after missing the first month while recovering from offseason wrist surgery.
Since returning, he has averaged 16.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game, providing steady production alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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