Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace need surgery as the Thunder confirm both injuries

Jalen Williams has a fractured fibula and a dislocated left ankle, and Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti announced both diagnoses Monday, and both players will have surgery.

Shams Charania of ESPN first reported the injuries and said both players will be sidelined for several months, most if not all of the season.

Presti said the club will know return timelines after the operations. ESPN noted that both injuries usually take multiple months of rehab, which puts their availability for the rest of the season in doubt. "We are extremely optimistic about the recovery for both players," Presti said at a news conference at the Paycom Center. "Most importantly, things could have been a lot worse."

Both were hurt in Sunday's 108-101 win over the Clippers. Wallace went down in the first quarter after running into a moving screen by Clippers center Isaiah Jackson. Williams was fouled on a drive with 1:14 left, landed awkwardly and was taken off on a stretcher.

The money makes the timing worse. Williams, 25, an All-Star and All-NBA pick two seasons ago, is in the first year of a five-year, $239 million max deal. He missed most of last season with a wrist surgery recovery and hamstring strains. Wallace, 22, made an All-Defensive team last season and signed a five-year, $139 million extension last week. He became a regular starter after Oklahoma City traded Luguentz Dort to Atlanta over the summer.

The Thunder got a first look at life without them on Monday. Ajay Mitchell started for Williams and scored a career-high 30, Jared McCain started for Wallace and scored 18, and Oklahoma City beat Phoenix 125-114 to stay 4-0. The depth got thinner during that game. Alex Caruso left in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle, which coach Mark Daigneault called "just an ankle sprain," and Chet Holmgren sat with patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

What's next: Oklahoma City plays at Dallas on Wednesday. Watch for the dates of both surgeries, any timeline Presti gives after them, and whether Caruso and Holmgren are ready by then.