Thunder’s Kenrich Williams Cleared For Season Debut
After missing the first 18 games of 2025/26, Thunder forward Kenrich Williams is no longer on the injury report and has been cleared to make his season debut on Wednesday vs. Minnesota, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).
Williams, who will turn 31 next Tuesday, underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee just before the start of training camp in late September. At the time, the Thunder announced that he’d be reevaluated in six-to-eight weeks. Just over eight weeks later, he’s set to return to action.
Williams has been in Oklahoma City for the past five seasons, and while his playing time has declined a little in the past couple years, he still made 69 appearances last season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 16.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .483/.386/.718. The veteran wing also saw the floor in 16 of 23 contests during the Thunder’s championship run in the spring.
Besides being one of the team’s longest-tenured players, Williams is the second-oldest player on the Thunder roster and is a respected voice in the locker room.
“He’s a leader,” teammate Isaiah Hartenstein said (Twitter video link via Martinez). “You hear his voice through the game, throughout the practice. Just having him back is something really cool. He’s still been a force even when he wasn’t playing.”
While Williams will be active on Wednesday, the Thunder will still be missing multiple key members of their rotation. Jalen Williams (wrist surgery) has yet to make his season debut, and Aaron Wiggins (adductor strain) has been ruled out of a 10th consecutive game. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also considered questionable to play due to an illness.
Health issues haven’t slowed down the Thunder so far this season. They enter Wednesday’s divisional showdown with the Timberwolves holding a league-best 17-1 record.
Lakers Become Second Team To Secure Spot In NBA Cup Quarterfinals
With their 135-118 win over the rival Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers moved to 3-0 in NBA Cup group play and clinched their spot atop Western Conference Group B. They’re the second team to secure a place in the knockout round, joining the Raptors.
As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes, the Lakers’ “big three” propelled the team to victory on Tuesday. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James combined for an impressive 99 points, 24 rebounds, and 22 assists, with Doncic (43 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds) leading the way.
The Lakers have one more round-robin NBA Cup matchup this Friday, against Dallas, but the 1-2 Mavericks can’t catch them in the group standings, and neither can the 1-1 Grizzlies or 0-3 Pelicans. The Clippers dropped to 2-1 in NBA Cup group play as a result of Tuesday’s loss, which gave the Lakers the tiebreaker edge.
The Lakers would be assured of hosting their quarterfinal game if they defeat the Mavs on Friday.
The final NBA Cup group play contests will take place on Wednesday and Friday, with six quarterfinal spots still up for grabs — three in each conference. Here are a few details on the races for those spots:
- The Thunder (2-0), Suns (2-0), and Timberwolves (2-1) are battling for Western Conference Group A, with Oklahoma City set to host the Wolves on Wednesday and the Suns on Friday. A win in Sacramento on Wednesday would put the Suns in good position to advance to the knockout round even if they fall to OKC on Friday.
- The Trail Blazers are below .500 on the season but are in the driver’s seat in West Group C — they’re 2-1 in group play so far and can win the group with a victory over the Spurs (1-1) on Wednesday. If San Antonio wins that game, the Spurs would face the 2-1 Nuggets on Friday with the Group C crown on the line.
- In the East, the Magic (3-0) and Pistons (2-0) are vying for control of Group B and will face each other on Friday. Detroit would win the group with a victory over Orlando, even if the Pistons drop Wednesday’s game to Boston.
- In Eastern Conference Group C, the 2-0 Bucks and 1-1 Knicks are each looking to become the first team to make the NBA Cup knockout round in three straight seasons, but the 2-1 Heat are in the mix too. Milwaukee will visit Miami on Wednesday and New York on Friday, and there’s a chance that superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back for those games.
Northwest Notes: Kessler, Lillard, Wolves, Thunder
The Jazz lost Walker Kessler to a season-ending shoulder injury at the end of last month. It has greatly affected their defense, as Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune details.
Jusuf Nurkic has been thrust into the starting center role and while he’s a prolific rebounder, he’s a subpar defender. Kevin Love, 37, has been Nurkic’s primary backup and the only other option is to move true power forwards into that spot. Utah has allowed 130 or more points in six of its last nine games.
Kessler will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, so if the Jazz keep struggling mightily on defense without him available, his representatives could use that point to generate some leverage during contract negotiations.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers defeated Milwaukee on Monday after losing seven of their previous nine games. Damian Lillard, rehabbing this season from his Achilles injury he suffered during last season’s playoffs, has been dispensing advice to his younger teammates during the rough patch, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “I told these dudes: this is the time when you find your true identity,” Lillard said. “It’s not when you win a couple games and everything feels good. It’s in the moments when it would be easy to walk away — like now, we have some injuries, a rough patch, a tough schedule — but this is the time when you make a decision to march forward and up.”
- The Timberwolves have collapsed in back-to-back late-game situations. After surrendering a nine-point lead with 50 seconds to play in Phoenix on Saturday, they gave away a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation during a 117-112 overtime loss to the Kings on Monday. This has set off alarm bells amongst the team and its fans and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski examines some possible causes to their crunch-time woes. “Hopefully we learn,” center Rudy Gobert said. “We still have an amazing opportunity ahead of us, but we have to decide who we want to be.”
- How good has the Thunder’s defense been this season? The Athletic’s Fred Katz (Twitter link) notes that they are allowing 7.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second-ranked Mavericks are. That’s the same difference as the gap between Dallas and the No. 22 ranked Bulls in that category.
Key Dates For Teams Up Against Hard Cap, Tax Line
There are currently five NBA teams who have an open spot on their respective 15-man rosters and don’t have the ability to sign a free agent to fill that opening because of their proximity to a first- or second-apron hard cap.
For instance, after hard-capping themselves at the first apron in the offseason, the Lakers are operating just $1,124,195 below that threshold. A prorated minimum salary for a veteran signed today would count against the cap for $1,834,380 and wouldn’t fit under Los Angeles’ hard cap. But as of January 18, that figure would drop to $1,121,743, just low enough for the Lakers to accommodate it.
Here are the dates as of which those five teams who have 14-man rosters and are right up against a hard cap could first sign a player:
- January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
- January 8: Houston Rockets
- January 9: Orlando Magic
- January 18: Los Angeles Lakers
- April 2: New York Knicks
The Warriors were also on this list when the season began, but they now have enough room below their hard cap to sign a 15th man — every day they put off doing so creates a little more flexibility below that threshold, which could come in handy later in the season.
Those teams aren’t the only ones worth keeping an eye on due to their cap limitations though. The Mavericks, for example, have a full 15-man roster, but could be looking to make a change after ruling out Dante Exum for the season due to a knee injury. That wouldn’t be possible right now though, since Dallas is just $1,292,084 away from a second-apron hard cap. The Mavs won’t be able to add a new 15th man in place of Exum until January 6, at which point a prorated minimum deal would carry a cap charge of $1,280,107.
There are also a handful of teams operating just under the luxury tax line who wouldn’t have the ability to sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract without surpassing that threshold. The tax line isn’t a hard cap, so there’s nothing stopping a club from surpassing it today and then trying to duck below it later in the season. But that comes with some risk, since getting below the tax typically requires the cooperation of a trade partner.
Here are the teams currently unable to sign a veteran free agent without going into the tax, along with the dates when that will change:
- December 13: Miami Heat
- December 19: Portland Trail Blazers
- January 26: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Trail Blazers and Thunder currently have full 15-man rosters, and there’s no indication that either team wants to make a roster move. The Heat, on the other hand, have an open roster spot, so they’re worth keeping a closer eye on starting in mid-December.
It’s worth noting that all of these dates apply to free agent signings only. If a team were to sign a player whose draft rights it held to a rookie minimum contract, the cap hit would be significantly lower, so it could happen sooner. But few teams have that sort of draft-rights player waiting in the wings to join the roster during the season.
We should also mention that the dates above only apply to one-year, minimum-salary contracts. If a team wants to bring in a player on a multiyear minimum deal, the first-year cap hit is generally higher, so it would have to happen later in the season.
Finally, these dates are all contingent on the team’s current cap situation, so they’re subject to change if a club makes a trade, completes a buyout, or makes a 10-day signing that changes its position relative to the tax line or aprons.
Thunder Notes: Cap Outlook, Draft, Jay. Williams, Sorber
The second tax apron is unlikely to break up the Thunder anytime soon, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who evaluates the defending champions’ salary cap situation going forward.
As Smith writes, while the Thunder will have three maximum-salary players on their roster starting next season, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will be on the smallest of the max deals (starting at25% of the cap instead of 30% or 35%), while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s new super-max extension won’t go into effect until 2027/28.
Oklahoma City has also done a good job maintaining flexibility around its stars, Smith notes. Several role players are on contracts with declining structures, while Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort are likely to have their 2026/27 team options turned down in favor of more team-friendly deals.
If the Thunder had to part ways with Hartenstein or Dort for financial reasons, it would be a tough loss, but the front office has consistently brought in young players like Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber, who could take on larger roles down the road if needed, Smith observes. Oklahoma City is also in position to continuing adding premium talent to its roster going forward — the club could have as many as four first-round picks in the 2026 draft.
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman takes a closer look at the Thunder’s potential 2026 first-round picks, considering which ones will change hands and which will be the most valuable. We covered similar ground in our latest Front Office article, noting that the Jazz front office will probably do all they can to try to hang onto their top-eight protected pick, but the Thunder could still have two valuable first-rounders from the Clippers and Sixers. Oklahoma City will also likely end up with Houston’s first-rounder.
- Thunder big man Jaylin Williams, who is in the first season of a three-year, $24MM extension, is struggling to score efficiently this fall, shooting just 34.5% from the floor and 30.7% on three-pointers. However, head coach Mark Daigneault raved after Sunday’s win over Portland about all the other ways in which Williams contributes. “He’s just a total team guy,” Daigneault said, per Martinez. “He does all of the things that are investments in the team. He’s a great ball mover. He’s a great screen setter. He’s a great communicator. He’s a great block-out rebounder who takes charges. He does all of the dirty work that teams need, and he embraces that. I think that’s one of the reasons he has such respect in the locker room. It’s because of his commitment to those things. Guys don’t take that for granted when it comes to him.”
- In another story for The Oklahoman, Martinez explores how Sorber, this year’s No. 15 overall pick, is building chemistry with his Thunder teammates despite being ruled out for the season due to knee surgery. “He fits the energy of the team,” Isaiah Joe told Martinez. “He always has a positive attitude. It’s just all love. He talks to everybody. He greets everybody. He’s got a great spirit. And he’s really hungry to not only be around us in the locker room but out there on the floor with us. It shows great signs.”
- In case you missed it, Jalen Williams is no longer eligible to make an All-NBA team or win any other postseason awards in 2025/26, locking in his rookie scale extension at 25% of the 2026/27 salary cap.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).
Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.
Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.
Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.
Jalen Williams Now Ineligible For Postseason Awards
Jalen Williams‘ absence from the lineup has barely slowed down the Thunder, who routed Portland on Sunday to improve to 17-1. However, it has financial implications for the fourth-year wing, who has missed all 18 games so far, according to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.
With only 64 games remaining in the season, Williams is no longer able to reach the 65-game threshold to make his eligible for postseason awards. The five-year rookie scale extension he signed in July includes contract escalators for achieving All-NBA honors and being named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.
Williams is making $6.6MM this season on the final year of his rookie contract. That will jump to a projected $41.5MM in 2026/27, and reaching all the escalators could have pushed his salary close to $50MM.
While Williams was unlikely to be named MVP even without the injury, the other two benchmarks were more realistic. He was a third team All-NBA selection and a second team All-Defensive choice last season, as well as an All-Star for the first time in his career. Being named first team All-NBA also would have been difficult, but Schiffer notes that second- or third-team honors would have raised his future salary by one or two percent — between $1.5MM and $3MM in year one.
Selected with the 12th pick in the 2022 draft, Williams’ emergence into stardom is among the reasons Oklahoma City has been able to assemble a dominant roster that’s still cost effective. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 69 games last season and was one of the Thunder’s most consistent playoff performers during their run to the title, including a 40-point outburst in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Williams underwent surgery at the start of July to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist that bothered him throughout the postseason. He required a second procedure in late October to remove a screw that was causing irritation. There’s still no timeline for him to return to action.
Schiffer notes that while OKC will benefit from not having to pay more for Williams next season, the savings are more of a luxury than a necessity. The Thunder currently aren’t a taxpaying team, and although their projected $246MM salary for 2026/27 puts them in the second apron, they have roughly $54MM in non-guaranteed salaries or team options that provide financial flexibility. That figure includes $28.5MM for Isaiah Hartenstein, $18.2MM for Luguentz Dort and $7.2MM for Kenrich Williams.
Northwest Notes: Mitchell, Ball, Trail Blazers, Adelman
The NBA’s best team keeps finding ways to get better, and Ajay Mitchell‘s recent breakout has given the Thunder another dangerous weapon, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. With Jalen Williams still recovering from wrist surgery, Mitchell has seized the opportunity to become OKC’s latest star. The second-year shooting guard is averaging 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists though 13 games while ranking sixth in the league with 1.8 steals. He has taken over Williams’ role of carrying the offense whenever Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rests and provides a complement to the reigning MVP in late-game lineups.
“I mean, he was breaking out last year before he got hurt (last season),” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We see it on a day-to-day basis, and (coach Mark Daigneault) has a system that if you go out there and show what you can do, he’ll let you ride.”
Mitchell is the latest find by general manager Sam Presti, who selected him out of Santa Barbara with the 38th pick in the 2024 draft. Mitchell started on a two-way contract before being converted to a standard deal in February. Once Williams returns, Mitchell figures to get consideration for Sixth Man of the Year honors and may be a strong contender for Most Improved Player as well.
“You want to take advantage of it,” Mitchell said of his role, “but I always look at it as, ‘Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m gonna do it.’ With injuries, I have to step up.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- LaMelo Ball‘s poor interview with the Timberwolves during the 2020 pre-draft process helped convince them to make Anthony Edwards the No. 1 pick, relays Sam Jane of The Athletic. His colleague, Jon Krawczynski, told the story of Ball’s presidential aspirations during a recent appearance on Zach Lowe’s podcast. “One of the questions that was asked of him was: ‘Hey, LaMelo, after you’re done playing, what do you see yourself doing when your career is over? What kind of things do you aspire to?’ And LaMelo said, ‘I want to be president of the United States,’” Krawczynski stated. He adds that the team wasn’t sure if the answer was legitimate or if Ball was bored with conducting interviews, but it helped to make Minnesota’s decision clearer.
- The Trail Blazers held a players-only meeting after losing by 24 points Friday night in Houston, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. It was their first lopsided defeat of the season, and they want to make sure things don’t get out of control. “Sometimes, we’ve got to talk with each other,” Deni Avdija said. “We’re like family here. And families have to say what’s on their mind.”
- Coach David Adelman’s main concern about the Nuggets‘ early-season schedule has been two instances of traveling for back-to-back games that tipped off less than 24 hours apart, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Especially when you’re playing national TV games that are a lot longer (due to commercial breaks),” Adelman said. “That’s something I think we all have to talk about. If we’re talking about the betterment of the players, and you want to see the best product possible nightly, you have to give them time for their bodies to come back and be themselves.”
Injury Notes: Edey, Coward, Poole, Dort, Eason, Oubre
Second-year center Zach Edey could make his season debut on Saturday. He has been listed as questionable for the matchup in Cleveland, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
As Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes, the Grizzlies are reeling, with seven losses in their past eight games and a 4-9 record on the season. The team is looking forward to having the former Purdue star back in the middle.
“He brings a lot,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said of Edey. “He’s a tremendous finisher around the rim, and he also has a gravitational pull that forces defenders to have to help.”
Edey has been steadily ramping up his activity after undergoing ankle surgery in June, which prevented him from participating in training camp and the preseason. Iisalo cautioned that there will be an adjustment period for the 7’4″ big man once he returns, Wallace adds.
“He’s a tremendous rebounder on both ends, which is a huge benefit,” Iisalo assessed. “He’s a high-level rim protector, and having both him and Jaren (Jackson Jr.) as our twin towers out there worked really well for us last year. He’s also a second-year player who had an operation five months ago. So, it will be a gradual process to bring him along and we just have to stay true to our process.”
After missing Wednesday’s game in Boston due to a right ankle injury, point guard Ja Morant will be active on Saturday, but standout rookie wing Cedric Coward is doubtful to suit up due to right foot soreness, per the team.
Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:
- While Pelicans guard Jordan Poole is making “good progress” in his recovery from a mild left quad strain, he’ll miss at least one more week, which is the next time he’ll be reexamined, the team today announced in a press release (Twitter link). Poole is in his first season with New Orleans, having been acquired in an offseason trade with Washington.
- Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, who has missed the past five games with a right upper trap strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s game at Charlotte, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. The 26-year-old forward could hit free agency next summer, depending on what the Thunder do with Dort’s $18.2MM team option for 2026/27. The Montreal native was named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2024/25.
- Impending restricted free agent Tari Eason suffered a right hip contusion in Friday’s matchup against Portland and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, according to the Rockets (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). Eason, a 24-year-old forward, entered Friday’s game averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on .517/.531/.714 shooting (24.5 minutes per contest).
- Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, exited Friday’s loss in Detroit with a hyperextended left knee and did not return, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays (via Twitter). After a 4-0 start, the 76ers have cooled off of late, dropping five of their past eight games.
Thunder Notes: SGA, Dort, Hartenstein, Daigneault
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had two of the league’s most prestigious trophies in his possession by the time the Thunder reached the NBA Finals, but he kept them out of sight so they wouldn’t distract from the ultimate goal, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The award he got for being named Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals stayed hidden in the back of his locker until the playoffs ended, while his regular season MVP trophy was in an even more remote spot.
“In its case, in the basement,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All the joy and everything that comes with that would’ve been put on hold had we not won the championship, so that’d be my main goal. I had to put the fun aside for a bit, and then at the end, it was a little bit sweeter.”
SGA and his team appear to be on the way to collecting more hardware next spring and possibly for years to come. They’re off to an 11-1 start without their best lineup together, as All-Star wing Jalen Williams is still recovering from wrist surgery and other players have been in and out of the lineup during the first three weeks of the season.
As MacMahon explains, they’ve been able to keep winning due to a sense of professionalism and a commitment to hard work that permeate the organization, with Gilgeous-Alexander at the center of it.
“He still looks like he wants to make the team. That’s just his approach,” Luguentz Dort said. “That’s how he competes. He’s always been like that. The fact that he’s the leader of our team and still approaching it that way in Year 8 now, it just sets the tone for the rest of us. It’s like, man, we got to match that energy.”
There’s more from Oklahoma City:
- While the Thunder are favored to repeat as champions this season, ownership may have to be willing to spend into the second apron to build a dynasty capable of winning several titles, MacMahon adds. The first test will come next offseason when decisions have to be made on team options for Dort ($18.2MM) and Isaiah Hartenstein ($28.5MM). “There’s certain (times) where you think, ‘I could never imagine being somewhere else,’ but for me, it’s right now,” Hartenstein said. “How can I be focused on the present moment? Then I think everything will figure itself out when it’s done. And I think with the second apron, winning always helps. So, if we just keep winning, I think we can keep the team together.”
- In an interview with Mark Medina of Athlon Sports, Gilgeous-Alexander said head coach Mark Daigneault deserves more credit for his role in making the team successful. “The biggest thing is Coach does a really good job of setting the tone,” he said. “The group is a certain way, obviously, and the characters in the room. But Coach does a really good job of holding every guy in the room, including myself, to the highest standard and not letting it slip, no matter what.”
- Daigneault tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Thunder adjusted their normal offseason schedule to give players more time to savor the accomplishment of winning a title. “Normally guys are coming into Oklahoma City in early September, and we pushed that back — for the guys that played a lot,” he said. “So we tried to extend the summer as much as we could, and not feel this insecurity to turn the page too fast, so that they could fully enjoy and decompress from last season. And then we just tried to present it as an end point. Last season ended. This season starts. That was the 2025 championship. No one’s taking it away from us. It’s ours for the rest of our lives, but it’s also over.”