The Oklahoma City Thunder (40-11) have been dealt a significant injury blow as the schedule nears the All-Star Break. Star PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to miss an extended period of time with an abdominal injury, according to Wednesday reports.
SGA's absence could lower the ceiling of the reigning champs significantly if they can’t replace his production and efficiency on offense.
Below, we’ll provide a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury update and dig into what Thunder players’ stats could improve with SGA sidelined, plus PrizePicks NBA projections and analysis.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Injury Update: How Long Is SGA Out?
SGA will miss at least two weeks of action with an abdominal strain. He’ll be re-evaluated after the All-Star break — the Thunder plays its first game after the break on February 20.
The league’s reigning MVP has been putting together another spectacular year after securing his first-ever NBA title and NBA MVP win in 2024-25.
He’s averaging 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game in his eighth professional season. The 27-year-old is on the brink of a 50-40-90 season with 55.4/39.0/89.2 shooting splits.
Despite the injury, SGA is still favored to repeat and become the 2025-26 NBA MVP on PrizePicks Player Picks under NBA Awards. His current payout is 1.42x to be the MVP ($100 pays out $142); Nuggets C Nikola Jokic trails behind SGA, with a 3.84x payout to win his fourth MVP, despite an injury of his own.
The Thunder lead the league in points per game (120.5), and that figure may drop in the coming weeks while their primary initiator recovers. However, other players can help replace his buckets. One recent trade acquisition’s role in this is especially intriguing.
What Thunder Players Will Step Up With SGA Out?
Thunder G Cason Wallace will almost certainly step directly into a starting role for OKC. He’s more of a defensive specialist and averages 7.6 points per contest for his career, though.
However, former 76ers and newly-acquired guard Jared McCain is a different story.
OKC sent one future first-round pick and three future second-round picks to Philly in exchange for McCain on Wednesday. The Duke product showcased plenty of offensive talent during his rookie season last year, and could prove to be a valuable fill-in for SGA if he finds his rhythm in February.
McCain averaged 15.3 points while shooting 46.0% from the field and 38.3% from deep as a rookie in 2024-25 before suffering a season-ending meniscus injury.
He found himself buried in the 76ers’ depth chart at the beginning of 2025-26 after returning to action from a thumb sprain he suffered over the offseason. Now he has a chance to flourish in a new environment.
It’s unclear how the Thunder will work McCain into the rotation in the beginning, but he did average 22.3 points per 75 possessions last season. More shot volume could help him get back on the map sooner, rather than later.
He’s more likely to get more opportunities in OKC with G Ajay Mitchell and F Jalen Williams also injured, further opening up minutes for the new acquisition.
Another name worth watching is SG Luguentz Dort. He’s averaging a career-low 8.9 points per contest, but boasts a scoring average of 17.5 points per game through 55 Thunder appearances without SGA since the duo arrived in OKC together ahead of the 2019-20 season.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Make NBA Picks on PrizePicks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to miss at least two weeks with an abdominal strain through the All-Star break, but OKC has made a move to replace some of his offensive ahead of the trade deadline by trading for Jared McCain.
Even if the reigning MVP will be out of commission for a while, you can make NBA picks on PrizePicks to earn real money all season long, including on SGA to win MVP.
Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if your picks are right; or use Team Picks to make picks on winners, spreads, futures, and totals, and earn money if you're right.
Check out the Playbook throughout the season for more NBA picks, predictions, and news every day through the 2025-26 season.
