The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams will undergo surgery on his right wrist to repair a ligament tear, following the team's NBA Championship triumph.
Williams was selected in the All-NBA third team this season after a stellar campaign.
The Thunder's general manager Sam Presti confirmed Williams will have surgery but will be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Presti also praised Williams’ perseverance and desire to play through the pain barrier.
“The part that I'm most impressed with is in our modern era, when someone has a poor performance or they're not playing to their capability in a game and there's a lot of attention on it, you often see a little birdie make sure that everybody knows that the player is not 100%,” said Presti.
“Never happened with this guy, not one time. He powered through. He showed incredible mental endurance and security in himself.”
Williams could earn up to $247m over the next five years if he decides to sign an extension to his rookie contract, which could also rise to $296m with potential supermax escalators.