It's not quite clear whether or not Jalen Williams will be healthy enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night after he underwent wrist surgery this offseason. But this is the Thunder we're talking about, so they'll be more than alright even if Williams were to miss a few games to start the new campaign — especially when they have third-year guard Cason Wallace ready to step into the starting lineup when needed.
On Tuesday night, Wallace did start for the Thunder during their 116-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in preseason action. He finished with just nine points in 27 minutes, but he did add to his highlight reel with a little less than nine minutes to go in the second quarter.
Wallace has been earning his keep on the defensive end his whole career, and opponents always have to be careful when throwing passes with him in the vicinity. The Thunder guard picked off a weak pass from Ryan Rollins and was on his own in transition, but with it being preseason, he chose to throw down a nice and easy one-handed jam. This, however, was not to Williams' liking, and he joked about it, giving Wallace a thumbs down for his cautious dunk.
Jalen Williams on Cason Wallace's breakaway dunk 👎😂pic.twitter.com/XbdMiy59sL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2025
In preseason, there's no use in reaching deep in one's dunking bag, especially when one is not a big-time highflyer in the first place like Wallace is. But of course, the Thunder players have already built such a deep bond with one another after being through many playoff battles together, and Williams is definitely just kidding with his gesture.
Nonetheless, Wallace appears to be on track for another improved season, although it remains to be seen if he'll become a starter for the Thunder considering how stacked the entire roster is.
Cason Wallace to start for the Thunder even when Jalen Williams returns?
The Thunder have a plethora of options for their starting lineup for this upcoming season. The only ones safe in their starting five when everyone is healthy are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Luguentz Dort — leaving one spot open for OKC to rotate depending on matchups.
One would think that Isaiah Hartenstein would be the favorite for the job, and he may as well be after he had an impressive 2024-25 campaign. But against smaller teams, no one should be surprised if head coach Mark Daigneault gives Wallace a few starts here and there.
