OKLAHOMA CITY — If Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses 11 more games, he will be disqualified from the 2025-26 NBA awards. Gilgeous-Alexander remains the odds-on favorite for MVP, according to ESPN’s latest poll, after missing five consecutive matchups, and is on the cusp of making it six. Ahead of facing the Brooklyn Nets, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the hot-button topic on Friday.
On the heels of the Thunder’s announcement that Gilgeous-Alexander will be re-evaluated in one week, he’s expected to miss the next four games. Daigneault discussed the NBA’s 65-game minimum during his pregame media availability.
“There are so many other people that are thinking about these things a lot, and I’m thinking about the Thunder, and I’m thinking about my kids — that’s all I’m really thinking about,” Daigneault said. “So, I don’t know. I’m not going to get in on that. In terms of the decisions, we’re always going to prioritize the well-being of our players — him and everybody else.
“If we’re put in a situation where we have to make a decision on somebody’s health and well-being, we’re going to prioritize that because the downside of that is too grand. Shai understands that. The guys understand that. The 65-game thing, obviously, everybody’s aware of, and we want all of our players to qualify for that.”
It’s a goal Daigneault has set for each of his players. However, it’s from a Thunder team’s standpoint, rather than for the desire to see his players win awards and honors from the NBA.
“Not because of the awards, but because we want to prioritize availability,” Daigneault added. “But when guys got stuff going on, we’re always cautious, and we’re always as conservative as we can be because that’s the best thing for our team, and more importantly, for their individual careers.”
The shorthanded Thunder will face the Nets without Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell.
New injury timetable for Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss at least one more week with an abdominal injury. Ajay Mitchell is dealing with the same injury along with a sprained left ankle, and Jalen Williams will be re-evaluated in two weeks due to a sprained right hamstring.
As Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault noted, the defending champions, ahead of an expected deep playoff run, will always prioritize players' long-term health over regular-season games and NBA awards. The Thunder appear to be in no rush bring Gilgeous-Alexander back, and the same could be said about Williams and Mitchell.
