Photo: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are betting on Cason Wallace to take on a larger role after moving three rotation wings during the offseason.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic noted, Oklahoma City traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in a series of salary-cutting moves, leaving Wallace as a key option to fill the resulting gap on the wing.

The 22-year-old guard started 58 of 77 games last season and earned All-Defensive Second Team honors while finishing seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Hollinger identified Wallace as a player the Thunder believe can handle both the three-point shooting and defensive responsibilities of a starting wing.

Wallace averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 26.6 minutes per game during the 2025-26 regular season. He shot 43.2% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range.

The offensive challenge will be increasing his volume without sacrificing efficiency. Wallace had a 14.5% usage rate last season, while his 6.8 three-point attempts per 100 possessions trailed the volume previously supplied by Joe, Dort and Wiggins.

Joe averaged 13.7 three-point attempts per 100 possessions, compared with 9.7 for Dort and 9.2 for Wiggins. Hollinger believes Wallace could help compensate for their departures by increasing his own three-point volume into double digits.

Wallace has already shown considerable improvement as a shooter. He made 41.9% of his three-point attempts as a rookie in 2023-24 before shooting 35.6% in his second season and 35.1% last season.

His defensive responsibilities could be even more significant. Dort was one of Oklahoma City’s primary options for defending larger wings, while Wallace is listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. Despite the size difference, Wallace received the All-Defensive Second Team recognition that Dort did not last season.

Wallace will also have to provide more offense when playing alongside Oklahoma City’s second unit. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren carrying significant offensive responsibilities in the starting lineup, Wallace has generally operated as a complementary player.

That dynamic could change when he plays without the Thunder’s primary creators, requiring him to take more shots and create offense for himself.

The decision also carries long-term financial implications. Wallace is approaching the point where Oklahoma City must determine the value of his next contract, making his development particularly important as the Thunder navigate the luxury-tax aprons and potential repeater penalties.

Oklahoma City already reduced its payroll significantly this offseason by trading Joe, Wiggins and Dort while retaining its core. The Thunder also re-signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million contract and added first-round picks Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz.

After a 64-18 regular season and a Western Conference finals appearance, Oklahoma City enters 2026-27 with Wallace playing a central role in replacing some of the production and defensive versatility lost on the wing.