That wind you hear sweepin' down the plains is the collective sigh of relief from every Oklahoma City Thunder fan.
OKC checked off the final box from the offseason must-do list by signing Cason Wallace to a new five year contract worth $129 million.
The news was first announced via X by ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania on Sunday night. Oklahoma City made it official early Monday afternoon by way a press release.
While nothing is official until the starting lineups are released prior to tip off on Opening Night, this new contract all but guarantees the already presumed thought that Wallace will take OKC's final starting spot. Longtime starter Lu Dort is now in Atlanta and that lockdown perimeter defender starting 2 guard baton is presumably being handed off to Wallace. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti alluded to this move coming during his 2026-2027 preseason press conference.
"Cason is someone we think very highly of and has done a great job for us," Presti said when asked of a possible Wallace extension back on September 24th. "I think the greatest sign of respect we could have shown Cason is moving Lu in that trade. We potentially could have looked at a series of other options, but it's a bit of a gesture to him to say, We think you can have a great role on this team. We believe in you as a player. And we're hopeful that all that can work out."
All Wallace has done since OKC traded up two spots to draft him at #10 overall in 2023 is win basketball games. As a matter of fact, he has won at a higher clip than any player in NBA history. The former Kentucky Wildcat has a 173-54 career record since joining the league, good for an all-time best 76.2% clip.
Wallace led the NBA in total steals last season. His excellence on that end of the court led to a Second Team All Defense selection. The bigger spotlight as a key starter on one of the best, most high profile teams in the NBA should only lead to more accolades as his reputation as one of the league's best defenders grows.
Aside from his stellar defense, the combo guard has also shown he has the ability to be a positive 3 point shooter. Wallace shot 41.9% from deep his rookie season. While those numbers dropped to 35.6% and 35.1% the last two years, he is still at an impressive 37.4% for his career. He also flashed an expanded offensive bag during the stint last year when OKC was dealing with a multitude of injuries and needed more scoring and playmaking.
At just 22 years old, Wallace is just scratching the surface of his talents. And now the Thunder will benefit as the team has a young, high upside All-Defensive selection locked up until the middle of his prime.