Jalen Williams
Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams has already felt the financial impact of the NBA’s 65-game rule, and his reaction says a lot about how he views his career and priorities. After missing the first 19 games of the season while recovering from offseason wrist surgery, Williams became ineligible for end-of-season awards tied to major contract escalators.
That absence carries a massive price tag. Williams signed a five-year, $241 million rookie max extension with the Thunder over the summer. With an All-NBA selection, that number could have climbed into the $250 million to $289 million range. Instead, the missed time potentially cost the 24-year-old as much as $48 million, per Fadeaway World.
During a recent interview with Rachel Nichols, Williams addressed the situation directly and made it clear he has no regrets about how he handled his recovery.
“I’ll make it back somewhere else,” Williams said. “So, I’m not too worried about it.”
Williams Explains Why Health Came First
Williams explained that pushing to return early simply to chase games played would have gone against everything he and the Thunder worked toward during the offseason.
“I think honestly, the way I was thinking about it was if I come back and I play hurt, right? Then I risk re-messing my hand up and kind of wasting a lot of the work that my team and our training staff, I put into the summer,” he said.
For Williams, the decision came down to timing and trust in the process.
“So, if it wasn’t time for me to play, it wasn’t time for me to play,” he continued. “That’s more of like a God’s plan thing, and I’m just kind of rolling with it.”
Williams also pushed back on the idea that missing out on the money would linger with him.
“I’ll never be salty over the money,” he said. “We obviously will be able to use that elsewhere, which will be even nicer to keep our team together.”
He added that perspective plays a role, especially given his path to the NBA.
“I made a lot of money over the summer, too. So, I’m never gonna be too greedy,” Williams said. “Coming from a small school, I never thought I would make the amount of money that I’m making now anyway.”
Thunder Benefit From Williams’ Perspective
Nichols jokingly responded that Williams probably should not let Thunder general manager Sam Presti hear his final thought, after Williams said his main focus remains winning.
“The goal for me is about winning, before it is about money,” Williams said. “I’ll play the sport for free.”
Nichols also noted that Williams could still recoup a portion of the lost money through team success. Winning the NBA Cup this season would earn each player on the winning roster $530,000, adding another layer of motivation.
Williams, who made the All-NBA Third Team in the 2024–25 season, also managed to put a positive spin on the long-term implications for Oklahoma City. There has been discussion around how the Thunder will eventually need to make difficult financial decisions involving key contributors such as Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein due to the league’s apron rules.
Not having to account for an additional $50 million tied to Williams’ contract incentives could ease some of that future pressure. From that perspective, his absence early in the season may indirectly help the Thunder maintain flexibility as they continue building around their core.
Even with Williams missing significant time, Oklahoma City has continued to dominate. He is now averaging 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in the 2025–26 season, while the Thunder have surged to a 24-2 record.
For Williams, the math is simple. Health, winning, and trust in the long game matter more than chasing thresholds, even when the price tag reaches $48 million.