While the OKC Thunder drag their feet on extending guard Cason Wallace, various other teams around the league are wasting no time setting the market.
Ausar Thompson is the latest to receive a payday, as his five-year, $155 million deal is around what people expect Wallace to get. Unfortunately for the Thunder, the deals may keep on coming, and it will only further increase the asking price for their 3-and-D man.
According to Brian Windhorst of The Hoop Collective, Brandin Podziemski may be one of the next young guards in the extension queue. In Tuesday's episode, Windhorst threw around a $19-20 million value per year as a reasonable amount Podziemski could command.
A Brandin Podziemski deal would make Thunder's uphill battle steeper
If that's the case, the hypothetical deal would only serve to increase Cason Wallace's value. Wallace, albeit with slightly less volume, has been just as efficient, if not more so, than Podziemski in his three years with the Thunder.
As for the defensive side of the ball, there is arguably no comparison. Wallace is one of the best up-and-coming defenders. He just finished third in the league in steals and is now primed to be OKC's shutdown guy in this year's starting five.
If Podz can demand upwards of $20 million, Cason could easily use it as leverage to dictate the number of his own extension. As other lesser players continue to secure the bag, Wallace's price tag will only continue to rise.
Thunder (regrettably) letting other teams set the market for them
Because OKC has sat on their heels, Wallace has gained more leverage in extension talks. He can now point to multiple players, most with less impressive resumes, to use as comparisons when negotiating his own extension.
Ausar Thompson, though a plus defender, is severely limited on offense. As a career 20.4 percent three-point shooter, the former lottery pick has virtually no jump shot and can limit Detroit's versatility on occasion when they don't surround him with enough shooters. Given that he has averaged just 2.5 assists for his career, Thompson is essentially a one-dimensional offensive player.
Brandin Podziemski, by contrast, is competent with the ball in his hands but is not a highly touted defender. His 48.0 percent defensive field goal percentage in 2025-26 is a far cry from Wallace's 43.1 percent.
As less competent players continue to set the market, OKC's hopes of retaining Cason Wallace at a reasonable price become more and more difficult to become reality. Given that GM Sam Presti is already having to perform financial acrobatics, the organization might not have the bandwidth to add another inflated salary.
Add us as a preferred source on Google