Jalen Williams has a broken left fibula and a dislocated left ankle and will need surgery, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Monday. Cason Wallace also faces an operation on a torn labrum, leaving Oklahoma City without two starters for the foreseeable future.

The diagnosis Oklahoma City feared after Sunday night arrived on Monday. Jalen Williams fractured his left fibula and dislocated his left ankle when he landed awkwardly under the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers, and he will undergo surgery, Presti told reporters at a news conference in Oklahoma City.

No return date has been set. Presti said a timetable will only come after the operation, according to The Associated Press report on NBA.com, which noted that the history of similar injuries points to a recovery that could last through the end of the season.

Wallace needs surgery too

The Thunder took a second hit the same day. Cason Wallace, who grabbed at his left shoulder while fighting through a screen early in the Clippers game, has a torn left labrum and will also have surgery. His timeline will likewise be set afterward.

Both players are among the best defenders on the roster. Williams made the All-Defensive team in 2024-25, and Wallace earned the same honor last season.

“Dub, as everybody knows, is as tough as they come,” Presti said. “He’s an elite competitor. Even last night, just miraculous in terms of his outlook and the way he’s looking forward to attacking this. We’re going to be with him the entire way.”

Presti also said that “things could have been a lot worse,” and that he had not yet thought about the open roster question. “I haven’t thought about anything related to the roster spot,” he said.

Another setback for an injury-hit core

Williams went down on a drive with 1:14 left in the 108-101 win, and play was stopped for about five minutes before he left on a stretcher, as covered in our recap of the Clippers game. He sat out 49 regular-season games last season, mostly with wrist and hamstring trouble.

The 25-year-old has averaged 17.9 points over 251 games in five seasons, has earned All-Star and All-NBA selections, and was a central figure on the 2025 championship team. The franchise has been here before, with Chet Holmgren losing what would have been his rookie season to a foot injury.

A short-handed win over Phoenix

The Thunder still had to play Monday night, and they beat the Phoenix Suns 125-114 at Paycom Center without Williams, Wallace or Holmgren, who sat with right patellar tendinitis with the Thunder playing on consecutive nights. Ajay Mitchell poured in a career-best 30 points, USA TODAY reported.

“We were thinking a lot about ‘Dub.’ Prayers up to him,” Mitchell said. “We were all together for 48 minutes and got the win.”

The night added one more worry. Alex Caruso, expected to soak up extra minutes, sprained his right ankle late in the second quarter and did not return. With the 4-0 start intact, Mark Daigneault now has to rebuild his rotation on the fly. Follow our Oklahoma City Thunder coverage for updates on Williams and Wallace after surgery.