OKC Face $464M Dilemma After Cason Wallace Extension

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2026-27 season among the favorites to win the title again. Keeping this roster together is about to get very expensive.

Spotrac’s Keith Smith laid out the scale of it on X. “They already traded three rotation guys because of tax/apron issues,” Smith wrote. “They’re looking at a combined salary + tax bill of more than $464M next season, which WILL come down.”

Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe have all left this offseason, and more cuts are likely to follow.

While the Thunder's financial situation is the result of paying a plethora of players a hefty amount, the team only reached that combined number after three-year guard Cason Wallace agreed to a contract extension.

"Just in: Oklahoma City Thunder All-Defensive guard Cason Wallace has agreed to a five-year, $139 million rookie-scale contract extension, agents Jeff Schwartz, Max Lipsett and Marcus Monk of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN," Charania wrote on X.

The deal includes $135 million in base salary and $4 million in incentives, reportedly tied to winning the championship.

Erik Slater of ClutchPoints then noted that come the 2027-28 season, the Thunder will be committed to $224 million in combined salary among six players only. These include Wallace, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Wallace.

That leaves them just $11 million below the projected $235 million second apron, with the rest of the roster still to fill.

Sam Presti knows what’s coming. “Margin for error will be smaller than it has been for some time,” the Thunder’s president said.

Cason Wallace's Teammate Has High Hopes For Him

Wallace is entering the final year of his current four-year rookie contract. Wallace, who helped the OKC Thunder secure the NBA championship in 2025, recently secured his future with the team when he was offered a rookie extension.

And with Dort gone, he is expected to take over as the Thunder’s starting shooting guard.

While Wallace's numbers aren't impressive to look at on the stat sheet, the impact he provides on the floor is what matters most. Wallace averaged 8.6 points last season, but he led the NBA in total steals (150) and deflections (339) and ranked third in steals per game (1.9).

He was named in the All-Defensive Second Team and finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

One of Wallace's teammates, Kenrich Williams, strongly believes that Cason is deserving of his pay raise and is predicting that he will have a breakout season this coming campaign.

"Yeah, no, it's been great. Out of everybody, I think Cason is going to be the one to make the biggest jump this year," Williams said to Thunder beat writer Clemente Almanza during a press conference. "I'm calling it right now."

That’s a bold call for a player who has never averaged double figures. But Wallace has already proven he can change games without scoring. If the offense catches up, the Thunder’s $139 million bet will look like a bargain, even with the tax bill that comes with it.