Ajay Mitchell isn't the only OKC Thunder youngster who's having himself a career campaign in 2025-26, as third-year guard Cason Wallace has quietly established himself as the club's most ferocious pest, particularly in the passing lanes.
In fact, he's been so sensational in this area of play that their own All-Defensive First-Team stud, Lu Dort, recently admitted that he's even interested in going back to the film room in an effort to pick up a few lessons on how to emulate his teammate's otherworldly abilities.
"I feel like [Cason] really took a big step offensively and defensively. What he's doing is amazing, it's crazy to see. I'm to the point now where I'm watching film to learn how to get steals like that and get my hands in there," Wallace said after Wednesday night's win over Phoenix.
Thunder guard Cason Wallace inspiring Lu Dort with defensive play
Through 24 games played, the Kentucky product is averaging a league-high 2.3 steals per night while boasting the fourth-best defensive rating of 100.3 (minimum 15 games played).
Wednesday night's NBA Cup win over the Phoenix Suns served as yet another reminder of his absolute domination on the less glamorous side of the ball, as he wrapped up Oklahoma City's 138-89 blowout with a ridiculous four steals and a defensive rating of 71.4 while holding his assignments to a putrid 28.6 percent shooting from the field.
Of course, as Dort noted, Wallace's improvements on the floor are not just subject to his defensive efforts.
In 27.8 minutes a night, the combo guard is dropping a career-high 8.5 points and 2.5 assists on 38.1 percent shooting from distance while sporting a career-best 120.8 offensive rating.
Needless to say, his two-way play has been truly valuable for Oklahoma City amid their historic 24-1 start to the year.
However, with his breakout comes fear that his tenure in the Sooner State could be capped at just two more seasons.
Simply put, the better he plays moving forward, the higher his chances are of receiving an offer in 2027 free agency that the cash-strapped Thunder won't be able to match.
Of course, OKC could still find a way to keep the former first-rounder in tow for the long haul following the expiration of his current rookie-scale deal, though, in order to do so, harsh, financially driven decisions will certainly have to be made.
Fortunately, those are future problems. In the meantime, the Thunder are reaping the rewards of players like Wallace breaking out for them during their title defense tour, and, because of it, they appear destined to become the first repeat champion since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.