Jalen Williams 'Excited' for New OKC Thunder Lineups After Offseason Moves

The Thunder star acknowledged the weirdness without his former teammates around, but he's more than ready for another season.

Sep 28, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams (8) poses for a photo during Oklahoma City Thunder Media Day at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City will have a different look when the season tips off, and one of its stars is excited to see what’s to come.

Over the offseason, the Thunder made some major moves, sending out Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. After those three had been key pieces of the Thunder for the past several years and were instrumental in the team’s title run in 2025, Oklahoma City will have to adjust to a new normal next season.

Those losses will impact everyone on the roster differently, and those departures are already setting in for Jalen Williams. Set for a new year, Williams recently explained just how strange it is to not have those three around.

“Me and Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] were talking about it yesterday, and it's like I'm picturing Lu going to our team picnic,” Williams said. “In my head I'm like, all right, I'm going to see Lu there or Wiggs there or what am I going to say to Isaiah.

“It's very weird, and I feel like it's one of those things where like when you win championships with people, and those are guys that have been there the whole time I've been there, you grow like a really deep connection. It has been weird, but I'm also excited about what our team looks like and just our new look. I'm really excited to have other guys fill those shoes and do really well in that role. So I'm excited. But it is very weird.”

As Williams alluded to, the departures of those three will lead to some new lineups for Mark Daigneault to experiment with. Most notably, Dort’s departure will cause a permanent change to the starting lineup after the All-Defensive wing had started almost every game of his career since arriving in 2019. 

With Oklahoma City losing so much depth on the wing, Williams will be thrust into some new spots on the floor as well. After spending time starting at center just a couple of seasons ago, Williams will likely be set to be on the wing almost permanently, as the Thunder go all-in on double-big lineups and have a stockpile of talented guards. 

Despite all of the uncertainty surrounding the rotation next season and where Williams may need to contribute in comparison to previous years, he’s more than ready for the challenge and excited to see what his team can accomplish over the next few months.

“I'm just excited to see what lineups that get thrown out there and how we adjust,” Williams said. “I think what makes teams really good is, one, adjustments you make, and just like the response to adversity. Like we are going to have so many ups and downs during the year, it's like how can we remain steady through all that. And that's what I'm most excited about with this team.”