Williams lasted until No. 12 in the 2022 draft, after the Thunder already had taken Holmgren third and Ousmane Dieng, who hasn’t worked out, 11th. He since has emerged as the best player from the 2022 crop, with a work ethic that has helped him turn weaknesses (like an inability to go left, leading to a poor playoffs last year) into strengths.

Jalen Williams dropped 40 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 to lead the Thunder past the Pacers in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals, taking a 3–2 lead.