Thunder Face 1 Question After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Shivam Khatwani | Last updated Feb 5, 2026 12:59 AM ET

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss the Oklahoma City Thunder's next five games at the very least. The news comes after the Canadian suffered an abdominal strain, creating a massive hole in the Thunder's roster and sparking questions about how the team will replace his production.

According to reports, Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, and he will be re-evaluated once play resumes. While the injury is not considered long-term, the timing ruled him out of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, and it ended in a 116-106 loss. He's also set to sit out their meetings with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.

The Thunder then enter the All-Star break after those games and return to action on Feb. 20 against the Brooklyn Nets.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 49 games this season. That said, it'll be hard for the Thunder to fill the hole he leaves on the offensive end. It has also led to one question for OKC: Who will replace SGA and his production on the team?

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) walks off the court.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Thunder Coach Addresses Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Injury

The Thunder recently traded for guard Jared McCain with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 21-year-old guard is expected to play a more prominent role since OKC needs a scoring punch and playmaking.

Several Thunder players were absent during Wednesday's game against the Thunder, including stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Ajay Mitchell were also ruled out due to various injuries.

Once those key players return, though, they should get an increased workload with Gilgeous-Alexander out.

Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault admitted that they cannot replace Gilgeous-Alexander with one player alone, so they need to do it as a group to fill the void he has left.

"He's certainly a high-usage, high-impact player for us," Daigneault said on Wednesday, per ESPN. "So we've got to do it as a group and collectively, which is what we do when he's on the bench and he's not on the court."

It remains to be seen who among the Thunder players will step up as SGA heals from his injury. At 40-12 on the season, the team has some room for error and can definitely afford to wait for their superstar to return.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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