NBA
Thunder’s Jalen Williams (wrist) is out on opening night for the defending champs
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated3 hours ago on October 21, 2025
Tuesday, October 21, is opening night for the 2025-26 NBA season. Fans can enjoy two games this evening. At 7:30 p.m. EST, the Rockets will face the Thunder on the road.
Later in the night, the Warriors will be on the road at 10:00 p.m. EST to face the Lakers. For the Houston vs. Oklahoma City matchup, the reigning champions will be without one of their key players. Jalen Williams had wrist surgery over the summer, and he is still recovering. NBA insiders officially ruled Jalen Williams out on Tuesday night as he is still not at 100% health.
Jalen Williams will not be available on opening night for the Thunder
Thunder opening night injury report
Jalen Williams OUT
Isaiah Joe OUT
Kenrich Williams OUT
Nikola Topic OUT
Thomas Sorber OUTAlex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell are good to go.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) October 20, 2025
The Thunder will be without all-star Jalen Williams when they begin the 2025-26 season on Tuesday night. He suffered a wrist injury on April 9, 2025. Oklahoma City had championship aspirations, and Williams decided to delay his surgery. Jalen Williams and the Thunder were able to bring home the first championship in franchise history. After the season, Williams had wrist surgery on July 1, 2025.
Since then, the 24-year-old has been slowly recovering. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has been somewhat vague with Williams’ recovery timeline. He told the media that Jalen Williams is “progressing” and “right on schedule.” For the first time in his professional career, Jalen Williams will not be available on opening night.
Jalen Williams (wrist) listed inactive to start season.
He is not expected to miss an extended stretch, per @BannedMacMahon.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) October 20, 2025
While Williams would love to be on the court, the Thunder are taking a long-term approach. The team has plenty of depth to survive until Jalen Williams is ready to return. He told the media that he will suit up for the Thunder when ” I feel like I can be a hundred percent.” Until then, the third-year pro will remain out.
This offseason, Jalen Williams had surgery on his right wrist. Since that is his shooting hand, the one-time all-star has been working extremely hard to get his jump shot back. He emphasized how a majority of it is getting into a rhythm and finding his “feel.” Without Jalen Williams on opening night, Cason Wallace or Alex Caruso could get the start for OKC. Wallace started 43 games for the Thunder last season. When will Jalen Williams be healthy enough to make his 2025-26 season debut?
