The OKC Thunder are gearing up for what is hoped to be a championship run in 2024-25, though could be starting the season off at sub-100 percent.
Tuesday morning, it was announced by the organization that high-energy forward, Kenrich Williams underwent an "arthroscopic debridement procedure in his right knee." Though the operation is being classified as "successful," the Thunder are not yet sure how long the rehabilitation will take, and that Williams will be re-evaluated after the preseason.
This, by all accounts, is extremely poor timing for the veteran.
Recent surgery could cost Kenrich Williams a rotation spot on Thunder
With training camps slated to start up in just a few weeks, Williams already found himself heading into the period on the rotation bubble. This unfortunate standing not only had to do with the fact that he was coming off one of the more underwhelming campaigns of his career in 2023-24 but, also, just how stocked with talent this Thunder team is.
The 29-year-old saw career-low averages virtually all across the board last year, as he posted just 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 69 games of action. On top of this, he struggled mightily with nagging injuries all throughout the campaign and even missed the first 10 games of the season primarily due to back spasms.
Since arriving in Loud City back in 2020-21, Williams has struggled mightily to stay on the floor as a result of health-related ailments. He has seen over 66 games played just once throughout his soon-to-be five-year tenure and even saw below 50 games played back in 2021-22.
What also plays against the forward heading into the new campaign is the fact that this Thunder team managed to revamp their rotation in major ways this summer with the additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Both of these ballers will require ample action on the hardwood and, considering coach Mark Daigneault already has guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Luguentz Dort guaranteed to see 25+ minutes a night, a guy like Williams (saw a career-low 14.9 minutes last season) was already projected to see his playing time axed even with a full camp under his belt.
Now, with him sidelined for the foreseeable future, this only diminishes his chances of serving as a consistent contributor within Oklahoma City's in-game scheme, thus possibly costing him a rotation role and, perhaps more daunting, a full-season roster spot.