Do you think when the Oklahoma City Thunder draft or acquire a guard, they know that player will immediately become one of the best value contracts in the league? It's happening so often that I am forced to believe there's something mystical happening behind the scenes.
First it was Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Ajay Mitchell, and now Cason Wallace appears to be getting his turn in the spotlight. In his third year, Wallace is getting a bigger opportunity than ever before with SGA sidelined, and he looks like a starter in his own right. In February, he's averaging 14.2 points per game, including four games with 20-plus points. He's breaking out tween, tween, stepback 3-pointers. Did he have that in his bag this whole time?
This is becoming a common theme. Is it a product of incredible talent evaluation, incredible player development, or pure luck? Do Thunder fans care one way or another? I don't think so.
Cason Wallace's breakout might make Lu Dort expendable next season
While Wallace's upswing in production is great for the future of the Thunder, it might not be great for Lu Dort.
Dort should be praised for the impact he's had on this Thunder team over the past seven years. He's been a key cog in this team's rebuild and deserves nothing but love from Thunder fans.
With that being said, Dort's time with the team may already have been coming to an end, and Wallace's breakout might make the decision to let Dort walk (he has an $18 million team option next year) a little easier. Maybe the Thunder pick that option up as a sign of respect for Dort's service with the team — but $18 million is an expensive "thank you."
A glut of guards makes it tough to justify bringing Dort back, especially with the season he's having. His scoring output is down to 8.9 points per game, his 3-point shooting is below league average, and while his defensive impact is still good, it gets lost in the shuffle because of how many plus-defenders this team has.
If this really is the end for Dort in OKC, his time with the team was a roaring success (and might include another ring for the road). But a big price tag for 2026-27, a surging Cason Wallace, and an already deep guard room might spell the end for the longest tenured member of the team.