Portland Trail Blazers vs Oklahoma City Thunder: preview and player stats (Jan 17, 2027)

Head coach Micah Nori said Morant met with a doctor in Los Angeles, who gave him a positive outlook on his recovery from the hamstring injury. While Nori declined to update Morant's timetable, he added Morant "may not be out for as long as we thought," Trail Blazers Insider Sean Highkin reports. Morant was initially given a four-week timetable after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on Oct. 30. It sounds like he's making solid progress, though it would be surprising to see him beat that timetable given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries. Scoot Henderson will continue to start in his absence and there will be more minutes available for Jrue Holiday.

Sharpe suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss six months, per Shams Charania of ESPN. It's a tough blow to the Trail Blazers' depth on the wing ahead of training camp. Sharpe, who is now likely to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, had been ticketed for a reserve role behind Toumani Camara following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, which saw average a career-high 20.8 points, 1.4 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game over 50 regular-season appearances. The door is now open for Vit Krejci and Jeremy Sochan to compete for bench minutes during camp.

Krejci underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports. Krejci suffered the ankle injury in last Wednesday's win over the Suns and is set to miss an extended period after undergoing surgery. With the 26-year-old and Ja Morant (hamstring) both on the shelf, Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko should continue seeing increased minutes.

Youngblood (foot) is out for Friday's game against Sacramento. Youngblood is in line for a second straight absence due to a bone bruise in his right foot. His next opportunity to run the floor will arrive Monday in Minnesota.

Injury/Illness - Right Knee/ Injury Recovery (2026-11-15, OKC@SAC). Prior reporting (2026-10-31): Holmgren underwent a biological treatment Friday to address a small patellar tendon tear and will miss at least 8-10 weeks, Nick Crain of Slam reports. This is another massive blow to an Oklahoma City squad that's already set to be without Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) for most, if not all, of the season. With Holmgren sidelined, Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams and Aday Mara are all candidates to see increased playing time. Two-way player Brooks Barnhizer could also see more minutes.

Injury/Illness - Left Ankle Sprain (2026-11-15, OKC@SAC). Prior reporting (2026-11-15): Mitchell (ankle) is questionable to suit up for Sunday's game against the Kings. Mitchell has missed OKC's previous two contests due to a sprained left ankle, and he's now in jeopardy of sitting out a third straight. If Mitchell remains sidelined, Jared McCain will continue to start for the 8-5 Thunder.

Injury/Illness - Left Ankle Surgery (2026-11-15, OKC@SAC). Prior reporting (2026-10-28): Williams (leg) underwent successful surgery Wednesday to "address a fractured left fibula and reconstruction of ankle ligaments following a fracture and dislocation." He will be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports. Williams suffered the injury during Sunday's meeting with the Clippers and was taken off the court on a stretcher. It's unknown when the 25-year-old will be cleared to return, though the Thunder will presumably be overly cautious moving forward. Williams, who signed a five-year extension in July of 2025, has had a productive career, averaging 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals over 30.9 minutes per contest. However, after playing at least 69 regular-season games in his first three years in the league, he has appeared in just 36 in the last two seasons combined. With the Thunder having one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, the team may look for more minutes from Jared McCain, Jaylin Williams, and Kenrich Williams for the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign.

Injury/Illness - Left Shoulder Surgery (2026-11-15, OKC@SAC). Prior reporting (2026-10-31): Wallace underwent surgery Friday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports. Wallace is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season. However, there's still a chance he will return late in the campaign after sustaining the shoulder injury in Sunday's win over the Clippers. With Jalen Williams (leg) also set to be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season, Alex Caruso (ankle) should see significant playing time once cleared to return. In the meantime, Jared McCain, Bennett Stirtz and Josh Dix are expected to see increased burn.

Injury/Illness - Low Back Spasms (2026-11-15, OKC@SAC). Prior reporting (2026-11-15): Williams (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Kings. Williams will miss a sixth straight contest due to lower-back spasms and is still without a timetable to return. Isaiah Hartenstein, Kenrich Williams and rookie Aday Mara will continue holding down the frontcourt for as long as Williams is sidelined.

Injury/Illness - Right Knee Surgery (2026-11-15, OKC@SAC). Prior reporting (2026-11-13): Sorber (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers. Sorber is still recovering from knee surgery and remains without a timetable to return. He can be considered week-to-week until the Thunder offer an update on his status.