Cason Wallace will prove to be OKC's first real contract negotiation in a while

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As the Oklahoma City Thunder fell five wins shy of back-to-back NBA championships, a summer filled with decisions looms like a cloud. For the first time in a few years, the roster is about to go through a major shakeup. This current group has reached the end of its life cycle together.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Thunder will see several new faces, though. Among the quartet of guys whose futures will be decided soon — Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace and Kenrich Williams — one could be in line for a huge payday.

After his third season, Wallace is eligible for a contract extension. He has a $7.4 million 2026-27 team option that has already been picked up. But considering how the Thunder historically conduct their business, they'll likely decide his long-term future right now.

Either Wallace will get a contract extension or be traded elsewhere for a package of draft picks. Thunder fans hope it's the former — as he's broken out to be an All-Defense Team member this year. The 22-year-old is at the point in his NBA career where he's ready to make the jump as a full-time starter with more on his plate.

And depending on the Thunder's appetite, they could make the transition seamless by moving on from Lu Dort. Of course, it takes two to tango. In Wallace's exit interview, he kept his answers short and sweet when asked about his upcoming contract negotiations.

"I love the Thunder. But I'm more focused on getting better this summer," Wallace said. "And being able to go back out there and compete."

Oh, OK. Those comments definitely perked some ears up. They've evaded them for the most part in previous offseasons, but I think the Thunder are staring down the barrel of an old-school contract negotiation with Wallace and his party. Justifiably so, too.

On one hand, Wallace's outside shooting has slowly regressed over the years. He went from 41.9% from 3 in his rookie year to 35.6% last year to 35.1% this year. That's a fire-alarm-esque dropoff. You'd expect more growth on that side of the ball. And he showed it in flashes — specifically when OKC was completely beaten up and needed him to be the primary ball-handler and scorer.

"That was a fun point in time. That was fun having the ball and just being able to showcase my game and just do what the team needed me to do to win," Wallace said. "That's what it's all about at the end of the day is just going out there and trying to win, so I look at those clips and think about that."

Flashes aren't enough, though. But then again, on the other hand, Wallace balled out on defense. He was an All-Defense Team member for the first time. He almost finished with the steals title. Heck, he even received some DPOY votes as OKC sported the league-best defense once again.

And then in the NBA playoffs, Wallace totally redeemed himself. He shot 48.4% from 3 on 4.1 attempts. Aside from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he was the only guy on the Thunder you could confidently say showed up in their Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

We'll see where the final numbers land in negotiations, but OKC has to re-up Wallace by all means. You're betting on the 22-year-old to continue to grow. Through three seasons in his career, there's zero reason to believe he can't continue to get better. And for himself, he'd get to enjoy the best of both worlds at getting paid while competing for more NBA championships.

"I'm not money-driven. I want to compete, that's the main focus for me," Wallace said. "So, whether I get paid this summer or not, I'm going to get better because that's what I have to do to stay in this league."

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Cason Wallace will prove to be OKC's first real contract negotiation in a while

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