With the most recent blockbuster trade of the summer, the OKC Thunder might've just gotten a glimpse into the future of one of their own stars -- and it doesn't look pretty.
On Wednesday, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers... for next to nothing. The team received a few middling assets and veteran Paul George.
Boston had been aggressively shopping their former Finals MVP, who had a contract extension looming. In the end, they paid dearly, and they taught everyone else in the league a valuable lesson on how not to get the most value out of your players.
If OKC was paying attention, they would have learned the exact blueprint on how not to treat their budding star, Cason Wallace.
The All-Defensive talent is next in line on the Thunder for a new payday, and many are questioning whether or not general manager Sam Presti and company will have the cap space for it.
Especially given recent murmurs regarding Wallace's commitment level to the team, offloading his impending contract is far from off the table.
Thunder must learn from Celtics' Jaylen Brown mistakes
Boston made numerous mistakes along their journey to deal with the star wing. There was nothing discreet about the way they went about it.
From day one, Brown was clearly at the center of their attempt to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Once that was over, it was obvious Brown was still available, essentially trying to move away from his contract.
Because they were so forward with their intentions and time was running out before they had to make a decision on his contract, they had no choice but to accept far less than what they were looking for. Paul George's inflated contract all but offsets most of the assets that came with him in the deal.
One could make the argument that Philadelphia nearly got Jaylen Brown for free. The Celtics were obviously in no position to say no.
When it comes time for Presti to decide Cason Wallace's fate, he must make sure of two things.
First, he cannot wait until the last minute. If he does so, he loses all leverage, as other teams know the option to reject an underwhelming offer goes off the table.
Second, he must be much quieter about his motives than Boston GM Brad Stevens was during the latest saga.
If Presti is not careful, though, he could wind up selling Wallace for much less than he is worth. He has already shown that he is willing to take a lesser offer to offload payroll, evidenced by the Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe trades.
Wallace, on the other hand, is too promising a young talent to be moved for pennies on the dollar.
Hopefully, the situation can be avoided altogether, but if it can't, the Thunder can use the Celtics' catastrophic summer as a guide to what not to do in that situation.
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