With the 2026-27 regular season right around the corner, the Oklahoma City Thunder enter the year as a popular title pick. Even after their summer of cost-cutting moves, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams remain one of the most successful and decorated trios in the league.
The Thunder had a league-best 64-18 this past regular season. But fell short of their back-to-back ambitions in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. Injuries played a large part in that. But that's in the past. Can't change anything about it now.
Now that the offseason is behind us and we're looking ahead to another nine-month marathon, let's rewind on OKC's biggest moves and preview what most folks believe the Thunder will do this upcoming year.
To get
ready for the upcoming season, Thunder Wire conducted a 16-question fan survey. A total of 1,145 Thunder fans participated. Not every question was answered, though. The response totals for each question can be seen in the top-left corner of the pie charts.
One question was about Cason Wallace's tricky contract negotiations. He became eligible for an extension this offseason. So far, nothing. If I had to guess, talks will come down to the buzzer — which is Opening Night Eve on Oct. 19.
According to Thunder fans, most want a contract extension to be agreed upon within the next month — no matter the cost. Over 75% of voters preferred that option. From what the projections are saying, Wallace could be anywhere from $25 million to $30-plus million a year.
The Thunder could table talks until next summer to see if Wallace can have a breakout Year 4 — specifically, on offense. I will say, it would be a little awkward to have this hang over OKC for an entire season. You want everybody on the same page when you're title hunting. Could make for some interesting dynamics with a Wallace-sized cloud over them.
Also, there's zero excuse not to pay up to keep him, either. He's one of the best league defenders already. The advanced metrics absolutely love him. He helped you win one NBA championship and has been a winning player his whole career. So why get cute?
I understand that the Thunder must remain cognizant of any secondary contract extensions they sign from here on out. Especially with Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren taking up around 85% of OKC's payroll for the foreseeable future. But there are ways to keep Wallace on board for the long haul. It requires the ownership group ponying up and the front office finesseing their way around the rest of the roster.
Deadlines make deals. We're about to see if that saying exists within the Thunder walls. It will be interesting to see if they can sign Wallace to a contract extension before Opening Night. Only Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson and Keyonte George are the 2023 NBA draft first-round picks to get a second deal done. This feels like an old-school contract negotiation where both sides have reasonable prices.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2026 OKC Thunder fan survey results: Most want Cason Wallace to get new deal
