Team: Oklahoma City Thunder · PF/C · Age 24 · Standard contract · Base role: 9-minute third big
Projection card
| GP | MPG | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% (M/A) | FT% (M/A) | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 9.0 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | .430 (1.3/3.0) | .790 (0.2/0.3) | 0.5 |
Nine-category: waiver at base; deep-league threes/rebounds/assists center. ESPN-default points: injury-path streamer. Dynasty: Hashtag No. 244; useful NBA role but low star probability.
Why the line looks like this
Williams averaged 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 blocks and 1.5 threes in 19.6 minutes over 65 games in 2025-26. The rate is appealing; the projected role is not. Hartenstein re-signed, Holmgren is foundational, lottery pick Aday Mara arrived, and Thomas Sorber is returning from ACL repair.
His passing, charges and shooting still make him the safest immediate third big. An Hartenstein absence moves him from 10 toward 18 minutes; a second frontcourt absence can recreate most of the 2025-26 line.
Sources: Thunder 2025-26 stats, official 2025 extension, Hartenstein re-signing, Hashtag dynasty.
Category shape
- Wins: center threes, assists, rebounds and low turnovers.
- Useful: blocks scale with minutes; FT% is playable.
- Costs: low FG% for a center because many attempts are threes; little scoring.
- Build fit: deep roto or short-term stream when frontcourt absences are confirmed.
Floor, base, ceiling
- Floor: Mara/Sorber take development minutes and he plays only situationally.
- Base: 10 minutes with a broad but tiny 4-3-1 line.
- Ceiling: Hartenstein misses extended time; 21 minutes restore 7-6-3, 1.5 threes and useful blocks.
Risk and confidence
| Component | Confidence | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Roster | High | Multi-year extension |
| Minutes | Medium-low | Proven rotation big, but unprecedented frontcourt crowding |
| Rates | High | 65-game 2025-26 sample validates unusual skill mix |
| Availability | Medium-high | Achilles tendinitis appeared late, but no current July flag found |
Career record
Pre-NBA: Arkansas, two seasons: 3.7 / 4.7 as a freshman, then 10.9 PTS / 9.8 REB as a sophomore with a program-record 364 rebounds, first-team All-SEC (coaches), SEC All-Defensive, and an NCAA-leading 54 charges drawn. Draft: 2022, Round 2, Pick 34, Oklahoma City Thunder — the first player of Vietnamese descent drafted into the NBA.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 20 | OKC | 49 | 18.7 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.9 | .436 | .704 | 0.8 |
| 2023-24 | 21 | OKC | 69 | 13.0 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | .417 | .805 | 0.5 |
| 2024-25 | 22 | OKC | 47 | 16.7 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | .439 | .767 | 0.7 |
| 2025-26 | 23 | OKC | 65 | 19.6 | 7.2 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | .423 | .793 | 1.0 |
| Career | — | OKC | 230 | 16.8 | 5.7 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | .428 | .770 | 0.8 |
Durability: GP has oscillated with role more than health (49, 69, 47, 65); the 2024-25 dip mixed rotation squeeze with minor ailments, and Achilles tendinitis appeared late in 2025-26 without carrying a July flag. Four seasons, one ring, no major surgery.
Trajectory: Four years of remarkably stable rates: a high-.30s three-ball, top-tier passing for a center, charges-and-positioning defense, and modest scoring. 2025-26 was his best version (7.2 / 5.5 / 2.4 with 1.5 3PM in 19.6 minutes), which makes the projection question purely structural — Hartenstein, Holmgren, Mara and Sorber cap him near 9-10 minutes. He competes for the third-big job in 2026-27 and becomes fantasy-relevant the moment one starter sits for weeks: the record shows the 18-plus-minute version of him is a real deep-league threes/rebounds/assists producer, not a hypothesis.
Career sources: ESPN career stats, Wikipedia, Basketball-Reference.
Open questions
- Is he still the clear third big ahead of Mara and Sorber?
- Does his three-point efficiency remain viable at lower, irregular volume?
- Can two-big units with Holmgren protect his role?