The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a busy start to the NBA offseason. They have parted ways with Thunder veterans, including Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, and are set to part ways with veteran Kenrich Williams after declining his $7.2 million option on Monday.
With these losses, chances open up for everyone else on the roster, with Cason Wallace at the top of the list.
Following an impressive playoff run and increased offensive flashes throughout the 2025-26 season, Wallace has given OKC all the more reason to capitalize on the opening of salary space and lock in their rising star.
Cason Wallace showed stellar two-way flashes for Thunder
In the midst of the team's injury-riddled stretch, Wallace was given significantly increased offensive duties. This included more ball-handling, more offense initiation, and more self-creation.
During the month of February, in which he started all 12 games, the All-Defensive member shined. He averaged nearly 15 points and five assists, helping OKC to an 8-4 record despite the numerous injuries.
Then, when the playoffs arrived, Wallace continued to display his maturing offense.
In the 2026 playoffs, he was second on the Thunder in three-pointers made, while hitting the shot at a team-best 48.4 percent clip. During the rough stretches of shooting that OKC often faced in the playoffs, Wallace was consistently there to calm the storm.
These substantial offensive flashes are what the team has longed for, and now that they've seen it, along with the potential to free even more cap space, the choice to extend Wallace shouldn't be a question.
Of course, this extension comes barring one major move.
Thunder must move off of Lu Dort to secure Cason Wallace's future
Almost at the buzzer on Monday, the Thunder opted into Dort's final year under contract.
Even though Sam Presti and the organization made this decision, it's no given that he will end the season in OKC. When considering that they will avoid the frightening second apron by moving Dort, the possibility continues to grow.
After this hypothetical Dort trade, there will be a gap in the starting lineup that Wallace can fill perfectly. He will finally be able to have increased ball-handling responsibilities, while still excellently slotting into Dort's monstrous defensive burden.
Given this reality, Wallace will also be a restricted free agent in the 2027 offseason, something the Thunder desperately want to avoid.
While in the semi-open market, the team may be forced to match an offer considerably larger than anything OKC might propose in the next few months. This danger could be especially true if the guard continues his offensive growth prior to hitting the market.
If the OKC Thunder extend Cason Wallace this offseason, it's almost guaranteed they will save tens of millions of dollars and avoid a costly bidding war.
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