Though most believe Cason Wallace is the most logical heir apparent to Lu Dort as the new starting shooting guard for the OKC Thunder, at this point, nothing is guarenteed.
The folks at Bleacher Report recently emphasized this in their recent rankings of starting lineups in the association.
In his breakdown of Oklahoma City's first five unit, which was ranked number two behind only the LeBron James-led 76ers, writer Greg Swartz stressed that Wallace "should get the first chance" at claiming the primary two spot, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein rounding out the rest of the lineup.
However, in his opening, he noted how there are "a number of quality options" on this team that coach Mark Daigneault could also be turned to.
Unfortunately for Wallace, Swartz has a fair point.
Thunder have more starting shooting guard options than Cason Wallace
Jared McCain, for instance, is someone who, over the 13 games before his UCL tear in year one with the 76ers, had worked his way toward regular starter status, seeing first-five action eight times and averaging 15.3 points on 46.0 percent shooting from the floor and 38.3 percent shooting from deep in such a role.
Ajay Mitchell, meanwhile, broke out onto the scene last season while averaging 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 48.5 percent shooting from the floor, and, naturally, has earned himself consideration for an even bigger role in 2026-27.
What's also worth noting is that Mitchell's production only skyrocketed when taking on starting duties during the high-stakes postseason, where he posted 18.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while the Thunder went an undefeated 7-0.
On top of this, the Thunder also have the old reliable services of Alex Caruso still in tow, who, throughout his decade-long career in the league, has seen ample run as a starter.
The last time he filled such a particular role on a regular basis was right before he was traded to OKC back in 2023-24, where, while with the Bulls, he posted averages of 10.1 points, 3.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game on 40.8 percent shooting from deep while earning All-Defensive honors and finishing as a top-10 finalist in the DPOY race.
Having said all this, by all accounts, Wallace should be the next man up in battle for the starting shooting guard slot next season. After all, he did slot into the starting lineup in 55 of his 77 games played last season and posted 9.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 steals along the way.
OKC, meanwhile, went 49-9 in such contests and placed in the 94 percentile in point differential (plus-11.9), the 96 percentile in opponent turnover percentage (17.6), and the 97 percentile in opponent points per 100 possessions (105.7) with Wallace on the floor.
However, with training camp still a ways away, it's fair to say that no final decisions on the state of the position have been made just yet, which should keep the extension-eligible Wallace locked in on making the most of this summer and positioning himself for his best shot to lay claim to the primary two-guard spot.
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