Alex Caruso assisted to locker room as Thunder injuries worsen

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso was assisted to the locker room during the first half of Monday night's home game against the Phoenix Suns. He came up limping in the final two minutes of the second quarter with the Thunder leading 61-47. Yahoo Sports reported no diagnosis, injury detail, or return timeline for Caruso.

Caruso's exit compounds a deepening injury crisis for Oklahoma City. He had been playing extended minutes because starters Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were already out injured. Williams and Wallace were hurt in Sunday night's 108-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers and will require surgery. A third starter, Chet Holmgren, missed Monday's game with patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

What happens next

CBS Sports reported that Jalen Williams suffered a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula on an attempted dunk against the Clippers. He will have surgery and be sidelined for at least several months and potentially the whole season. Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder; his outlook is similar to Williams' — surgery, an extended absence, and possibly a lost season.

The injuries strike a roster already thinned by trades. Oklahoma City traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins to duck the second apron, reducing depth. The team now has three max players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren. Oklahoma City reached Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals without Williams a year ago, but CBS Sports argued that losing Williams may not end the season, yet every subsequent injury hurts that much more.

Thunder executive Sam Presti was asked about a possible trade at his press conference Monday. With the season only weeks old, the Thunder are braced for more injuries, a point made before Monday's game. The severity and timeline for Caruso's injury remain unknown.