The Pistons are still hunting for a second creator, and Cason Wallace has emerged as the kind of name that makes you stop and think. On a recent episode of The Game Theory podcast, Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simons floated a future trade scenario that would send Wallace to Detroit, with the Thunder holding what could be an extra creator of their own.
The conversation centered on future extensions for the 2023 draft class, which includes both Ausar Thompson and Wallace. Vecenie and Simons speculated that landing Wallace would cost two first-round picks, and that Detroit would likely have to commit to a deal worth as much as $30 million per year. It was framed as a hypothetical, but it was enough to put a real spotlight on how much the Pistons might have to give up if they go after him.
That kind of swing makes sense only if Wallace can grow into more than he is right now. Detroit is expected to keep searching for that second shot-creator next season, especially at the trade deadline, unless someone else on the roster takes that job. Cade Cunningham can’t be asked to carry the offense into another postseason alone.
Wallace’s appeal is obvious on the defensive end. Pairing him with Ausar Thompson would give the Pistons a nasty, disruptive look, and that’s before considering what it would mean to have two young defenders with that kind of intensity on the floor together.
But defense alone wouldn’t justify the price. For this to work, one of them would need to become a true second option, or at least a player who can give you 15 points a night.
Wallace averaged eight points per game last season, so the offensive jump required here is enormous. He would need to move into the 15-18 points per game range to make a trade like that feel worthwhile.
He’s shown flashes, though. He had a strong stretch in February and was excellent in the playoffs, where he shot 48 percent from long range.
He’s clearly the better shooter than Thompson, but Detroit would need more than spot-up value. They’d need real creation.
That’s what makes this such a tricky bet. There’s real risk in asking a player to nearly double his scoring output, and the Thunder’s playoff injuries also revealed something important: when they needed creation, they leaned on other players.
Still, Wallace’s defensive edge and his track record as a winning player on the biggest stage make him an intriguing gamble. He might simply be the kind of player who needs a larger role than Oklahoma City can offer.
For the Thunder, there’s no urgency. They can let Wallace get to restricted free agency and sort it out later. But with Mitchell’s raise coming up next, they could choose to avoid that problem and move him this season instead.
For the Pistons, that makes Wallace a player worth watching. He could fit a need, strengthen a team strength, and maybe come at a price that reflects how much upside is still left in him.
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For the Spurs, the appeal is easy to see. They needed more veteran shot creation, especially for the kinds of possessions that decide playoff games, and Harris gives them another option when the offense tightens up and the clock shrinks. If he settles into that role, San Antonio could get a real boost in the postseason chase, while Detroit is left wondering whether it let a stabilizing piece slip away at the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]