NBA Training Camp Rumors Live Blog

The Oklahoma City Thunder unloading Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins had to be motivated, at least in part, by the fact that the younger players on the roster are about to get a lot more expensive.

And the first name on that docket might be guard and defensive ace Cason Wallace, who's averaged 8.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 27.0 minutes over his last two seasons.

For OKC, paying anywhere near his max (over $200 million for five years) would be ludicrous, but they might not be able to afford to lowball him either.

Wallace could become a full-time starter with Dort gone, and his production will likely go up as a result. If he has a big 2026-27 without that extension in place, keeping him in restricted free agency in 2027 will be tougher.

Given what he's done so far, something around $100 million for four years may seem steep, but it could also age into a bargain.