The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a weird position when it comes to Cason Wallace. Obviously, for the betterment of the team and their chances at a championship this season, they would love for Wallace to play great. However, the better Wallace plays, the more difficult next summer will be for OKC.
The more money that Wallace ends up wanting in free agency, the harder it is going to be for the Thunder to duck under the second apron. And based on the way they acted this summer, it feels like they don't really want to be a second -apron team. So, if Wallace demands a massive payday, the Thunder could be forced to make some significant cuts to the roster.
But again, if Wallace doesn't play well, therefore not earning a massive payday, it's still not ideal, because then the Thunder wouldn't have as good a player. The second apron is cruel.
Cason Wallace playing well could put the Thunder in a bad second-apron position
It's a weird situation. A situation that seems exclusive to the current state of the NBA. The current CBA and new second apron penalties are forcing teams to act with finances in mind before actual basketball.
That sucks. That is not a fun position to be in, but it is one that the Thunder have found themselves in because they have built such a talented roster. Guys inevitably want to get paid.
OKC had the benefit of having Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren on rookie contracts for a while, which gave them time to win a championship before having to deal with the second apron.
But this summer, they made three separate trades to avoid the second apron. OKC shipped out Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe just so they wouldn't have to be a second apron team.
When you look at next summer, OKC is projected to be a second apron team once again. And that's before considering a Wallace extension. So, if they want to get under that mark, they are going to have to make some significant trades.
The more Wallace wants, the bigger trades the Thunder will have to make to get under the second apron. That is, if they decide to keep Wallace past next summer.
There is a world where they decide to let Wallace walk, but then they would be losing a quality young player just because of the second apron. That's definitely not ideal.
So, the Thunder are going to spend the season in quite the pickle. How hard do you root for Wallace? The answer is very hard. You always root for your players. But in the back of the Thunder's minds will be how much they are going to have to pay him, and what that means for the second apron.
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