Entering the offseason, it was unclear whether the Oklahoma City Thunder would be willing to face the second apron in order to keep their roster intact.
Then they moved on from Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in exchange for a grand total of four second-round picks. They also, somewhat suprisingly, used all of their selections in the 2026 NBA Draft, adding Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz, and Otega Oweh to the organization.
By the time they picked up Luguentz Dort's $17.7 million team option for 2026-27, it seemed relatively obvious what their next move was— find a trade suitor and recoup assets before they were forced to lose Dort next offseason.
As much as it may have been the necessary move, it's never a joyous moment when you have to lose a player under the financial restrictions of the new CBA. But the next test is already coming for Oklahoma City.
Now that they've decided to move on from Dort, they need to show whether they're willing to enter the second apron and foot a hefty luxury tax bill for the right combination of players. Cason Wallace, therefore, needs to be extended this offseason— the organization truly has no other choice.
Cason Wallace's extension is the next logical move for the Thunder this offseason
There's an argument to be made that, even from a pure basketball perspective, moving on from Dort was the right decision. His 3-point shot and production as a whole took a heavy dip last season, and there were times where he was a plainly negative player in the starting lineup. Across 69 games, Dort averaged just 8.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 34.4% from beyond the arc.
There were also times where he also failed to live up to his defensive reputation, which granted him the nickname 'The Dorture Chamber' during the height of his time with the Thunder.
When it comes to Cason Wallace though, there's no basketball-oriented reason why he shouldn't be extended this offseason. Sure, there are financial concerns with the extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren kicking in and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's contract ramping up.
But Wallace proved himself as one of the league's most disruptive perimeter defenders last season, amassing deflections and steals on a nightly basis. He also proved there was more to his offensive game when he saw enhanced on-ball opportunities on either side of the All Star Break. In the month of February, Wallace averaged 14.6 points and shot 47% from the field.
Wallace might not ever be the perimeter-shooting threat that Dort was in his prime. But the Thunder need a player that, on top of a minimal offensive workload, can guard opposing stars on-ball whenever they're asked to. Wallace is developing into that, and Oklahoma City needs to get him locked down before increased minutes in his fourth season drive him completely out of their price range.
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