In the waning weeks of the NBA offseason, very little has been said about the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cason Wallace's contract negotiations. According to one NBA insider, that could soon change, though.
ESPN's Shams Charania talked about Wallace's contract situation. He's been eligible for a contract extension all summer. Clearly, nothing has materialized yet. That said, there's still time for that to change before OKC plays on 2026-27 Opening Night.
Following Keyonte George's five-year, $157.5 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz, Charania mentioned on Wallace on 'NBA Today' as one of the next players from the 2023 NBA draft class who could get a new deal done. Aside from George, only Victor Wembanyama and Amen Thompson have had new deals
signed among the 2023 first-round picks.
"I'm told there is optimism with an Ausar Thompson extension in Detroit," Charania said. "And then I would also keep an eye on Cason Wallace, Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez."
Well, that's a positive semi-update. Very little has been hinted at with Wallace's potential new contract with OKC. But the fact that they moved on from Lu Dort this summer indicates they're ready to promote him as a full-time starter and keep him around for the long haul.
That said, this feels like an old-school contract negotiation. Akin to an NFL holdout. Both sides have reasonable positions that likely have Wallace's per-year price range widened to $25 to $33 million per year.
If you're the Thunder, you point to Wallace's pedestrian regular-season stats. He hasn't averaged double-digit points once in his three seasons. His outside shot has also dwindled both in volume and percentage. There's just not enough offensive production to justify a bloated salary like $25-plus million per year.
And if you're Wallace, point to your trophy case. He helped you win an NBA championship as a key piece. He also had a Year 3 breakout as a first-time All-Defense member and flirted with the steals title. And while his offense was meh in the regular season, he stepped up in the 2026 NBA playoffs as a sizzling 48% 3-point shooter. You can also say that OKC would sign him with the idea that his career trajectory arrow will continue to point up.
We'll see if something is agreed upon before the Oct. 19 deadline. I think something gets done. The Thunder don't want Wallace's contract year and uncertain future to hang over their heads as they chase another NBA championship. And the 22-year-old likely wants some long-term security and to avoid restricted free agency.
Shams on rookie extensions for the rest of the 2023 draft class:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) September 18, 2026
"I'm told there is optimism with an Ausar Thompson extension in Detroit. And then I would also keep an eye on Cason Wallace, Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez...and Anthony Black who's also a high draft pick in that… pic.twitter.com/kg4LF2sL1c
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA insider will 'keep an eye' on Cason Wallace, OKC Thunder contract talks
