The Oklahoma City Thunder strengthen their core to win another championship. They already had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren locked in with $822 million in long-term commitments to keep the franchise’s championship window wide open through the end of the decade. Now, they have sorted out another starting position after extending Cason Wallace.

The 22-year-old would have hit restricted free agency next season if Thunder chose not to extend before the October 19 deadline.

“Just in: Oklahoma City Thunder All-Defensive guard Cason Wallace has agreed to a five-year, $139 million rookie-scale contract extension,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on X.

“Critical extension for the Thunder to lock in Wallace ahead of restricted free agency next summer — now having their starting five all under contract for several years. Wallace led the NBA in total steals and deflections last season and has ranked third in steals per game in each of the last 2 seasons, per ESPN Research. He now steps into a starting role with a new extension.”

There was a lot of interest surrounding Cason Wallace’s future. His camp reportedly wanted a deal worth $30-$33 million annually.

“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,” Brett Siegel reported.

At the time, the Thunder were offering a contract around the mid-$20 million mark. Eventually, they had to fork out a little more to fend off any interest. Wallace also spoke about the extension during the exit interviews following the Conference Finals loss.

“I love the Thunder, but I’m more focused on getting better this summer and being able to go back out there and compete next season.” His focus was never about big contracts. “I’m not money-driven. I wanna compete. That’s the main focus for me. So whether I get paid this summer or not, I’m gonna get better, cuz that’s what I have to do, is stay in this league.”

As Cason Wallace was calm during the process, so was Thunder president Sam Presti. With Lu Dort traded, the starting spot is now for Wallace to cement his role.

“I think the greatest sign of respect we could have shown Cason is moving Lu in that trade,” Presti said in September. “We potentially could have looked at a series of other options, but it’s a bit of a gesture to him to say, ‘We think you can have a great role on this team. We believe in you as a player. And we’re hopeful that (contract extension talks) can work out.’”

It worked out well as both parties reached a middle ground. The Thunder guard’s new deal is slightly less than the five-year, $157.5 million contract signed by fellow 2023 draft class member Jazz’s Keyonte George. But it is significantly more than Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels’s four-year, $100 million contract and the Denver Nuggets’ Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million extension.

The Thunder paid that premium based on the performance, especially last season.

In February, Cason Wallace stepped into a much bigger role as Oklahoma City dealt with injuries to Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Ajay Mitchell. With the Thunder short on playmakers, the Kentucky product took charge of the offense, averaging 14.8 points and 5.4 assists in 31 minutes per game.

His responsibilities shifted during the playoffs, but he still proved he could deliver when called upon.

He was the only other starter from Oklahoma City’s Game 7 loss to San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals to score in double figures. Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, and Luguentz Dort combined for just 14 points, while Wallace finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. He saved his best stretch for the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his 17 points in the final period.

Still, offense is only one part of Wallace’s value. His defensive instincts earned him a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team last season, and he finished among the top seven in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The 22-year-old’s reliable outside shooting also creates more room for his teammates to operate.

During the regular season, he shot 35.1% from the three-point range. That improved significantly when he shot 48.4% from beyond the arc. So, the Thunder had to extend Wallace to avoid losing an important piece.