For those wondering what OKC Thunder guard Cason Wallace's rookie extension could come out to, look no further than Dyson Daniels.
Like Wallace, Daniels is a tremendously promising, up-and-coming guard who, after earning his first All-Defensive nod last season, inked a lofty four-year, $100 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
To Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon of the Game Theory Podcast, that's exactly what Oklahoma City's recently minted All-Defensive youngster should expect with his post-rookie-deal extension, as Vecenie specifically noted in a recent episode that he should "want [$25 million] a year."
Though perhaps not as lethal on the defensive end in comparison to the Hawks wing, Wallace certainly makes up for it with his objectively better offensive punch.
From his three-point efficiency (career 37.4 conversion rate) to the self-creation skills that led him to averaging 14.6 points per game while taking on a bigger role in coach Mark Daigneault's scheme in February, with guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell regularly injured, the 2023 lottery pick certainly has the promise of being an elite two-way stud.
With this in mind, Vecenie and Simon both agree that the extension-eligible Wallace should go into negotiations with Daniels' new payday being the benchmark.
Thunder could benefit most from Cason Wallace's shooting struggles
Wallace may be an already-established All-Defensive talent who, at 22 years old, is only just coming off his third season in the association, but this doesn't mean it's a guarantee teams will be lining up to try and lock down his services if and when he hits restricted free agency.
At least, that's what Spotrac's Keith Smith seems to believe, as he noted in a recent piece that rival clubs might be hesitant to go all-in on a pursuit after posting career-worst shooting splits of 43.2 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from deep.
To Smith, this could instill fear in prospective buyers that maybe he "isn’t quite ready to carry a team."
Because of this, the road for the Thunder to re-up with him appears to become far clearer, as such a worry from opposing teams should only lessen the number of threats that could swipe Cason away.
Ultimately, Smith seems quite confident in Oklahoma City's odds of extending Wallace, as he predicts that Sam Presti and the point guard will come to an agreement on a new four-year, $108 million contract, which, compared to many of the other names he discussed, could be argued as a virtual steal.
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