Thunder reportedly in danger of losing $24M high-impact defensive menace if unable to extend

Thunder reportedly in danger of losing $24M high-impact defensive menace if unable to extend originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have some major moves to make as their young talent is starting to get to the point where they can receive their second contracts. This summer, the Thunder organization already had to make some hard decisions.

They are trying to navigate who to keep and who to let go. OKC traded away Lou Dort this offseason.

“The Thunder traded All-Defensive wing Luguentz Dort to the Hawks in a three-team deal that sent three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacherto the Mavericks and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta on Sunday,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.

While that was one of the decisions they made this summer, there are going to be some more to make as time goes on. One possibility to watch is Chet Holmgren if he continues to get outplayed by some of the bigger stars.

“he second apron is rearing its ugly head with OKC in real time and will continue to do so as long as the Thunder keep that big three together. They might have to make a big-time decision soon. If Holmgren continues to struggle against Victor Wembanyama when it matters most, then maybe that decision becomes easier,” The Athletic’s Zach Harper wrote.

Another young player to watch is Cason Wallace. The defensive pest is set to potentially become a free agent next summer. If he does, NBA insider Brett Siegel already knows two teams that will bid for him.

“Whether or not the Thunder can ink Wallace to a long-term extension comes down to how much they are ultimately willing to pay. There are absolutely teams around the league who would jump on the opportunity to sign Wallace to an offer sheet next offseason if he is a restricted free agent, which would make things complicated for the Thunder to potentially match. One league source told ClutchPoints that if Wallace were to hit restricted free agency, at least two different teams would be prepared to offer him a deal that exceeds $30 million in annual value,” Siegel wrote.

It is going to be hard for the Thunder to retain him at the price he wants, but if they can do it, they will. If not, the other teams will be fighting for him in free agency next offseason.

Wallace is currently on his $24 million rookie deal. There are a lot of factors in this, but the Thunder are going to have a hard time keeping their guys together due to financials. Wallace will be someone to monitor as the season progresses and the likelihood of an extension is weighed.

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