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With the 2026-27 NBA season underway, the Oklahoma City Thunder are hoping for another trip to the NBA Finals after a heartbreaking Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs last year. Although the Spurs are young and hungry and hoping to get back to the Finals themselves, the Thunder still have plenty in the tank to make another deep playoff run. And for that, the Thunder are going to look towards potential breakout seasons for a couple of players on their roster.
Last season’s breakout star, Ajay Mitchell, is well-positioned to continue his upward trajectory. He was unfortunately limited during the conference finals against the Spurs due to an injury, but he’s back healthy and on potentially one of the best bargain contracts in the NBA. Rookie big man Aday Mara, fresh off winning a national championship at Michigan, has been very impressive in camp and preseason, and is going to be in the rotation immediately.
But the one young player on the team who is in line to have a breakout season for the Thunder is fourth-year guard Cason Wallace.
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Cason Wallace ready for breakout Thunder season
Right before the regular season began, the Thunder and Cason Wallace agreed to a contract extension worth $139 million and for five years. The Thunder are heavily invested in him and that new contract is proof. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, he’s steadily worked his way up to becoming an important part of the Thunder rotation.
He played in all 82 games during his rookie season, and over the past couple of years, he’s alternated between starting and coming off the bench. The former Kentucky star is coming off a season in which he appeared in 77 games, including 58 starts, at a little over 26 minutes per game.
Wallace averaged a career-best 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals with splits of 43.2 percent shooting from the field, 35.1 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 80.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He was selected to his first All-Defensive Second Team and he received votes for Defensive Player of the Year.
During the playoffs, his numbers held steady at 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals with splits of 47.9 percent shooting from the field, 48.4 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 87.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He came off the bench during the postseason, save for a couple of starts against the Spurs amid Mitchell’s injury.
With the new season upon us, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault opted to begin the year with Wallace in the starting lineup. If that is indeed a permanent change, with Wallace being a full-time starter, he will be in line to have a breakout year.
He had a modest stat line in the Thunder’s opening night win against the Spurs. He finished with six points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal, albeit shooting less than 40 percent from the field. He’s going to get his opportunities to shine this season.
And it isn’t just the offensive end of the court where Wallace can have a breakout season. During the Thunder’s season-opener, he announced himself during the pregame intro videos as coming from ‘Clamps University.’ He’s going to be the main point of attack defender in the Thunder lineup. He could possibly reach All-Defensive First Team status, and be the player to shock the NBA world with a breakout season for the Thunder.
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