The Oklahoma City Thunder had to make some tough decisions this summer, but next offseason will provide them with some equally difficult choices. Cason Wallace’s upcoming contract extension, in particular, will be a tough topic of conversation. He’s going to want a payday, but OKC’s trade for Jared McCain this past year could get in the way of that.
McCain and Wallace are very different players. McCain is an offensive sparkplug, and Wallace is one of the best guard defenders in the NBA. However, with OKC pressed up against the second apron already, how much will it be willing to pay Wallace when its guard depth is already very strong?
Ajay Mitchell is a great player. Obviously, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will play heavy minutes. Alex Caruso is there, too. The addition of McCain only takes away from Wallace’s leverage in extension talks.
Jared McCain may make the Thunder avoid overpaying Cason Wallace
Wallace is one of the more intriguing young guards in the NBA. His defense and offensive potential make for a very interesting young player to keep an eye on in the coming years.
The unfortunate reality about Wallace’s offensive game is that it may never get the chance to truly shine in OKC because of all the talent the Thunder have ahead of him. There are too many go-to guys that will almost always come before him in the scoring column.
That said, Wallace’s defense cannot be underrated. His skills as a point-of-attack defender are elite, and he brings so much more than that to the floor as well.
But how much are the Thunder really going to be willing to pay Wallace? Mitchell and now McCain can both play quality minutes at the guard spot, so would OKC overpay for another guy at that position?
Before the McCain trade, there would have already been some question marks regarding Wallace’s extension. But adding him to the roster only adds to fuel to the fire.
Extending Wallace would be a great choice for the Thunder, but not if it puts them over the second apron and forces them to make cuts elsewhere when they already have strong guard depth.
McCain’s solid play in the postseason could make the Thunder less willing to hand Wallace as much money as he may want in contract extension negotiations.
Unfortunately for Wallace, McCain could end up costing him a serious chunk of change. He may have to go get that money from another team.
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