The Oklahoma City Thunder have quickly blossomed into one of the league’s most dangerous young teams. Powered by the superstar rise of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the steady development of a deep, versatile roster. 

But as every contender knows, no championship-caliber team can thrive on a single star alone. Enter Jalen Williams, who has emerged as one of the premier second options in the NBA and solidified his place among the league’s elite wing players on both ends of the floor. 

Williams’ rapid growth has changed the calculus for Oklahoma City. In today’s NBA, the best second options don’t simply stand in the shadows of their superstar teammates, they function as interchangeable engines of offense, capable of taking over games and punishing defenses that sell out to stop the primary star. Williams has proven to be exactly that after a championship run for Oklahoma City. 

Where does he rank amongst the league’s second options though?

Williams has a pretty good resume, alright to claim one of the top spots. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while claiming his first All-Star appearance and adding 2nd team All-Defense and 3rd team All-NBA. Oh, and a championship now. 

Which guys could we legit say have a case above him? 

LeBron James

James’ case relies on the fact that he’s LeBron James going into year 23 with Luka Doncic as his running mate. At this stage in his career, it would be crazy to think James is the first option over Doncic as a second option. 

There aren’t many people who would argue that Williams is over James right now. Coming off of a year averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds in year 22, James is still playing at an extremely high level and the only reason he’s a second option is because of Doncic. 

Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns has phenomenal numbers coming off of a 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds season. Like James, he likely wouldn’t be in the discussion for best second option if he weren’t playing with another elite point guard.

He isn’t the defender Williams is, but there are things where he has the edge. Shooting is the biggest. A career 40% 3-point shooter has made him a much more valuable player. 

Domantas Sabonis

Sabonis is probably the second option that has the strongest case to be a first option. Averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6 assists last season, it’s hard to say Sabonis isn’t the first option. 

However, with both Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on the roster, it might just depend on the night. Also, they don’t have the winning criteria to be considered in the conversation. 

James Harden 

James Harden vs. Jalen Williams could just come down to who you think is better or going to be better in the 25-26 season. 

Most likely will say Williams, however, Harden still has defenders averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds last season. He technically has the better numbers. 

How much does that matter though if he’s on the worst team? 

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler is only here because he plays next to Steph Curry. 

Numbers wise, they aren’t too flashy, but the impact on winning he provides can’t be understated. A lot of viewers might have him over Williams because he’s spent the majority of his career as a first option and has led a team to a championship. 

That’s the past though. 

Those are pretty much the only guys that should be in the discussion. There might be others like Jaylen Brown or Kyrie Irving if injuries aren’t a factor for them or their teams. 

Going into to the new season though, Jalen Williams could cement himself as the top second option in the league and be seen as a guy who would be a legit first option.