Now that NBA Media Day has come and gone, the offseason is a thing of the past. That said, there's still a lingering talking point that won't completely go away until Opening Night Eve — one way or the other. What will the Oklahoma City Thunder do with Cason Wallace?
Time is ticking for both sides to get something done. After a breakout third year, Wallace has been eligible for a contract extension all summer. So far, nothing has happened. Stating the obvious, but we're in an old-school showdown between both sides.
If something materializes, it likely won't happen until near the Oct. 19 buzzer. After Sam Presti said they've rolled out the blue-and-orange carpets for Wallace, the latter had a chance to address the ongoing negotiations. As usual,
he was a man of a few words.
"That's between my agent and Sam," Wallace said. "Like I said, I'm just here to get better and win games."
The Thunder can always kick the can to next summer, but that's not typically their M.O. Seldom do they go into restricted free agency. If they really like you, they lock you up pretty early. For what it's worth, I think they envision Wallace as a key piece for the remainder of their contention window with this group.
Now, what does that mean for a pay raise? Remains to be seen. The Thunder might prefer something around $25 million per year. Especially with their payroll about to balloon for the rest of the decade. But Wallace's side could argue for nearly $30 million per year if you look at his accolades and advanced metrics.
After a couple of months of quiet, some of Wallace's other 2023 NBA draft first-round classmates are getting new deals done. One was Keyonte George. He recently signed a five-year, $157.5 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz. When you compare both players, Wallace has the longer winning resume. Even if his counting stats haven't reached the same height as his.
"Shoutout to my boy, Keyonte," Wallace said. "I see him in Fort Worth when we were out there and we were just chopping it up. We grew together. So seeing him sign a big contract, I was excited for him."
There's also a lot of projection involved with Wallace's contract negotiations. If he is promoted to full-time starter, then a natural jump in his offensive production should follow suit. But with that clashing with his pedestrian regular-season stats so far, you can see why there may be a gap between both sides.
Nevertheless, the Thunder have all the pressure to get something done with Wallace over the next three weeks. You can't have an uncertain long-term status cloud over your roster. Especially if you're hoping to win a second NBA championship in three years. Everybody must be on the same page. The best bet to get that is by inking him to a new deal soon.
"I mean, it's going to happen whenever it happens. Right now, I'm not even thinking about it," Wallace said. "We just got back together as a team. Training camp is tomorrow. So that's really where my mind's been at."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Cason Wallace addresses ongoing contract negotiations with OKC Thunder
