Though most of the boxes on the OKC Thunder's offseason to-do list have already been checked off, one key move remains. Cason Wallace still awaits a contract extension, and recent moves elsewhere in the NBA may have made retaining him all the more complex.
It was reported earlier this week that Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson is trending toward getting a five-year extension worth upwards of $30 million per year. If that ends up being the case, then the Thunder have almost no hope of retaining Wallace.
Thompson is coming off a year in which he averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists as a starter. The career 20.4 percent three-point shooter is primarily known for his defensive prowess, but his offense is considered more of a liability than a serviceable skill.
Having no perimeter game and shooting just 60.0 percent from the free-throw line in his career, Thompson is a borderline one-way player.
Wallace, on the other hand, legitimately has the makings of becoming a two-way backcourt stud.
Cason Wallace could price himself out of Thunder apron restrictions
Wallace pairs his defensive skill set with an impressive knack for scoring.
He's a career 37.4 perimeter shooter and just shot 48.8 from range in the 2025-26 playoffs. When stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell were all hurt, Wallace stepped into a ball-dominant role with ease, registering multiple 20-plus-point games and posting gaudy assist numbers.
Needless to say, if OKC fails to secure his services by the end of the offseason, he could end up pricing himself out of town.
The Thunder already had to jump through a few hurdles to get under the second apron this summer, and next offseason could be even worse. SGA's supermax deal kicks in at the beginning of 2027-28, and GM Sam Presti will arguably be more financially restricted than ever.
Signing Wallace this offseason to a $20 to $25 million range feels like a must, as he has shown he is on the verge of reaching another level in his game.
If his breakout postseason performances, namely against the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals, were any indication of what's to come, then he will easily turn himself into a commodity that OKC won't be able to afford.
As lesser players are laying down the blueprint for Wallace's baseline value, the Thunder can do nothing but panic. Every time a role player signs for a hefty sum, it prices Cason Wallace further out of OKC's range.
Ausar Thompson's potentially gaudy extension could just be the beginning.
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