Jalen Williams No Longer Eligible for NBA Postseason Awards
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Oklahoma City, OK – Thunder wing Jalen Williams can no longer reach the NBA’s 65-game minimum for postseason honors after missing the first 18 contests of the 2025-26 schedule, leaving him without a shot at All-NBA, MVP or Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
Williams, sidelined since opening night while recovering from two wrist surgeries, watched Oklahoma City defeat Portland on Sunday to move to 17-1. With only 64 games remaining, the fourth-year forward is mathematically eliminated from award eligibility and the contract escalators tied to those accolades.
The 23-year-old signed a five-year rookie-scale extension in July that begins at $41.5 million in 2026-27. Hitting all escalators could have pushed that figure toward $50 million. All-NBA selections would have boosted his salary by 1–2%, or roughly $1.5–$3 million annually, while MVP or DPOY honors carried even larger incentives.
Although Williams was unlikely to claim MVP, second- or third-team All-NBA recognition seemed realistic after he earned third-team All-NBA and second-team All-Defensive nods last season, when he also made his first All-Star appearance. The No. 12 pick in the 2022 draft averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists across 69 games and posted a 40-point effort in Game 5 of the NBA Finals as the Thunder captured the title.
Williams underwent surgery in early July to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, then had a second procedure in late October to remove an irritating screw. The team has not provided a timetable for his return.
While Oklahoma City avoids immediate escalator costs, the savings are a luxury rather than a necessity. The Thunder are currently below the tax line, and even with a projected $246 million payroll that would place them in the second apron for 2026-27, they hold about $54 million in non-guaranteed contracts—$28.5 million for Isaiah Hartenstein, $18.2 million for Luguentz Dort and $7.2 million for Kenrich Williams—offering considerable flexibility.
Source: Hoops Rumors
