The OKC Thunder have been extremely active since taking home their first NBA Championship this past June.
Though only adding on a few new faces to their foundation this summer, Sam Presti and company have been working non-stop in their efforts to lock down Oklahoma City's title-winning core for the foreseeable future.
Even during these dwindling hours leading up to Tuesday's season opener against the Houston Rockets, the front office has found itself churning away in this particular department, this time by officially exercising the fourth-year option on point guard Cason Wallace.
While such a move may not be a great surprise to anyone, it's unequivocally one that needed to be made.
Cason Wallace more than deserving of Thunder exercising option
Not long after joining the Thunder as the 10 pick back in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wallace worked his way into core rotation player status.
In year one, the Kentucky product established himself as a trusty long-range sniper and promising defensive pest who boasted the third-best three-point shooting clip on the team (41.9) and a top-eight defensive rating (110.0) among those who logged 50 or more games played.
By year two, he became widely renowned for his elite efficiency and trusty all-around contributions, as he dropped career-high averages of 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from deep.
He also ranked fifth in the NBA in total deflections, sixth in total steals, and placed within the 95th percentile in defensive estimated plus/minus last season.
While his counting stats may not make it abundantly obvious on their own, it is starting to become universally understood that Wallace is a star in the making.
What's most exciting about the Thunder guard, however, is that even with these clear signs of future stardom, his own head coach doesn't necessarily know just how high his ceiling is, noting in a recent practice media session that he's "got a lot of runway."
By opting into his 2026-27 season, Wallace is now secured and locked in with the Thunder for two more seasons with a worth of $13.2 million.
During this remaining time of his rookie-scale pact, a lot of decisions must be made, especially with him being extension-eligible come next summer.
Whether he's ultimately kept for the long haul or, perhaps less desirable, used as the headliner in a future trade, it won't change the fact that opting in for two more years with Wallace in the Sooner State was the right move to make ahead of the October 20 rookie extension deadline.