Is Cason Wallace Out For Season? Thunder Injury News Crushes $139 Million Decision

The Oklahoma City Thunder could've never expected this when they gave Cason Wallace a five-year contract extension worth $139 million in total value earlier this month.

But OKC is now going to have to play a lot of this season without its point guard after an injury Monday night put about the worst possible outcome onto the table for Wallace.

Most of the focus will be about Jalen Williams, whose gruesome left leg injury is going to keep him out for most or all of the season.

On Monday night, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Williams has a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula and will be out for at least "several months."

There wasn't as much expectation about a brutal update on Wallace, though, but that's exactly what the Thunder got.

Wallace could be out for the entire season. Even if he's not, he's going to be out for a long time.

Charania wrote the update like this on his X account:

Thunder GM Sam Presti did clarify that it's probably a 5-to-6 month recovery timeline for the labrum tear on Wallace.

Six months would take him to April, which would be a chance to return for the playoffs — if he's able to ramp up to speed in time.

Wallace tore the labrum in his left shoulder on a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half Sunday night, and it was one of those where you wondered if it had gotten dislocated — the shoulder didn't look quite right afterward.

Turns out it was a labrum tear, an injury more commonly associated with baseball pitchers than basketball players.

"He's a total warrior and probably would've gone back in the game if we let him," Presti told reporters on Monday night.

The Thunder will use some mix of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso as primary ball-handlers with no Wallace.

SGA obviously has the ball a ton already, so it'll likely be a step up in usage for Mitchell and Caruso.

Both are quite capable, but this injury does thin out the Thunder's depth. They have to stay mostly healthy going forward to withstand these absences.

The Thunder will likely also give more minutes to Bennett Stirtz , the rookie point guard out of Iowa who has played sparingly in the early going. He'll be the mystery in the mix to see how he adjusts to the NBA level.