Cason Wallace, Thunder Agree to $139M Extension

Cason Wallace is staying in Oklahoma City. The Thunder and their All-Defensive guard agreed Sunday night on a five-year, $139 million rookie scale extension, ESPN's Shams Charania reported, beating Monday's 6 p.m. ET deadline for the 2023 draft class with a day to spare.

The timing matters. Lu Dort is in Atlanta after an offseason trade, and Wallace is stepping into his spot in the starting lineup next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. OKC just made sure that spot is his for a long time.

Why OKC Paid Wallace

Wallace, the No. 10 pick out of Kentucky in 2023, has grown his role every year. He started 13 games as a rookie, 43 in 2024-25 as a key piece of the championship team, and 58 last season. In 77 games last season he averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals, and NBA.com notes he led the league in total steals and deflections. That earned him a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team.

Those numbers do not jump off the page on offense. The defense is the whole point, and OKC is paying for it.

Without the deal, Wallace was headed toward restricted free agency next summer. NBC Sports' Kurt Helin pointed out that teams with cap space could have tried to poach him with a big offer sheet. Instead, he takes the security, and the Thunder lock in their whole starting five (Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Wallace) on multiyear deals, with Alex Caruso signed for three more seasons off the bench.

Deadline Day Around the League

Wallace became the sixth player from the 2023 class to get extended, joining Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Keyonte George and Brandin Podziemski, per Hoops Rumors. Fifteen eligible players were still unsigned Monday morning. Brandon Miller in Charlotte is the biggest name still open, and Marc Stein has reported that the Magic are not expected to extend Anthony Black before the deadline. Anything not done by 6 p.m. ET waits until restricted free agency in July.

If you are drafting late this week, the bump to a full-time starter role is the fantasy angle, mostly in steals. Wallace played 26.6 minutes a night last season, and that number should climb.

Up Next

The Thunder open Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio on NBC and Peacock, a rematch of last spring's Western Conference finals with Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama on the same floor. Wallace just got paid to guard whoever the Spurs throw at him, and that starts right away.