Offensive Game
Limited shot creator but a reliable finisher around the basket and developing as a stretch-four. Takes what the offense gives him without forcing.
Career Journey
Oklahoma City Thunder
2022-present
2022 NBA Draft
Selected 34th overall by Oklahoma City Thunder
Tough Forward
Known for physicality and rebounding
Career Earnings
~$6M
Estimated total NBA career salary
| Season | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 65 | 7.2 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 42.3% | 38.3% |
Jaylin Williams is a versatile backup big for the Oklahoma City Thunder and, since June 2025, an NBA champion, part of the roster that beat Indiana in a seven-game Finals. A 2022 second-round pick out of Arkansas, he has carved out a role that far outstrips his draft slot. He can play the four or the five, and his value lives in the connective work: he anchors screener rim defense, draws charges, rebounds at a high rate, and has added a genuine three-point shot that stretches second units. In 2025-26 he averaged 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in under 20 minutes a night while grading out as one of the league's better reserve bigs. Oklahoma City rewarded that steadiness with a multi-year extension. He is the glue role played the right way.
Offensive Game
Limited shot creator but a reliable finisher around the basket and developing as a stretch-four. Takes what the offense gives him without forcing.
Defensive Game
Versatile defensive big with the length and mobility to guard fours and fives. Protects the rim, contests jump shots, and communicates switches. A building block of OKC's defensive identity.
Intangibles
Understands his role thoroughly — knows when to attack, when to get out of the way, and how to complement OKC's offensive stars without disrupting their flow.
Personal Life & Family
Status
Private
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Youth mentorship in underserved Arkansas communities
Collaborates with Isaiah Joe on Fort Smith youth basketball initiatives
Did You Know?
Williams and teammate Isaiah Joe both attended Northside High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas — a city of 88,000 people — making the odds of two NBA players from the same Thunder class from the same small city extraordinarily slim.
He nearly doubled his effective strength from his freshman to sophomore year at Arkansas, developing from a perimeter-oriented forward into a genuine NBA-caliber defensive big.
Williams' father Jay is a former college basketball player who served as his primary basketball mentor and the source of his defensive intensity and love for protecting the basket.
He was projected as a potential lottery pick by some early draft models, but OKC's medical staff cleared a concern that lowered his stock — making the 34th pick one of the best value selections in the 2022 class.
Career Honors
2022 NBA Draft 2nd Round Pick (34th overall, Oklahoma City Thunder)
SEC All-Defensive Team (2022)
Official Jerseys
83.24
Check Price on NBA Store74.99
Check Price on NBA Store74.99
Check Price on NBA Store
487.49
Check Price on NBA Store
86.25
Check Price on NBA Store
59.99
Check Price on NBA Store
105.00
Check Price on NBA Store
93.74
Check Price on NBA Store
105.00
Check Price on NBA Store
105.00
Check Price on NBA StoreOklahoma City Thunder · Official
109.99
Check Price on NBA StoreAffiliate link · Disclosure
59.99
Check Price on NBA StoreAffiliate link · Disclosure
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
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