Cason Wallace has already earned the kind of defensive trust that changes a team’s plans.
Three seasons into his NBA run, the Oklahoma City guard is no longer just part of the Thunder’s perimeter pressure - he’s set to inherit a bigger share of the toughest assignments. That’s what comes with a breakout third season, first-time All-Defense honors, and a team that has decided to lean fully into his rise. Oklahoma City moved on from Lu Dort in part because it believes Wallace is ready for that load.
Wallace has been around elite defense from the jump. The Thunder have owned the league’s best defense over the last two years, with a perimeter group built around Wallace, Dort and Alex Caruso. With Dort out of the picture, Wallace’s role only gets larger.
So when he sat down on the “Cousins” podcast with Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, his answer about the two hardest NBA scorers to guard carried some real weight.
"Shai's No. 1.
Kyrie, his bag. It's hard to watch film on him.
You watch film on him and every clip is different," Wallace said. "It's all buckets, so I give Kyrie No.
2."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 1 makes perfect sense. Wallace has had plenty of chances to see the Thunder’s scoring engine up close in practice, and Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the defining stars of this era. He’s also one of the most efficient scorers the league has ever seen, which makes every possession against him a problem.
The Kyrie Irving pick is the one that jumps out a little more, but it tracks. Wallace’s rookie season included a 2024 Round 2 playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, and Dallas was the last team to eliminate Oklahoma City before the San Antonio Spurs did it this past May. Irving missed all of last season with a torn ACL he sustained in Mar. 2025, but his reputation as a scorer has never gone anywhere.
That reputation is built on the kind of shot-making that makes defenders miserable. Irving’s career average of 23.7 points doesn’t put him in MVP territory, but his handle and the way he creates looks have long made him one of the most difficult guards in the league to solve.
He’s expected back in a major role for the Dallas Mavericks this upcoming season, now over a year removed from the knee injury. Dallas is hoping he can help push the team into the postseason for the first time since the franchise traded away Luka Doncic in one of the NBA’s most consequential deals in recent memory. Irving will also be asked to help Cooper Flagg along the way.
For Wallace, the answer says plenty about the level of competition he’s already faced - and the kind of defensive responsibility that’s coming next.
In Other News...
Russell Westbrooks Next NBA Chapter Will Hit Thunder Fans Hard
Russell Westbrook is still sounding like a player who is not ready to close the book on his NBA run. The former Thunder guard, now in the later stage of an 18-year career, said in a recent interview that he wants to keep playing, a reminder that the leagues relentless pace has not dulled the edge of one of its most recognizable stars. He spent last season with the Sacramento Kings, continuing a career that has taken him to seven teams, but his most lasting imprint remains in Oklahoma City.
For Thunder fans, any new chapter for Westbrook is going to land with extra weight because his name is still so tightly tied to the franchises rise. He is already a future Hall-of-Famer, and the organization is expected to retire his No. 0 jersey in recognition of what he meant there. Even as his journey keeps moving from stop to stop, the emotional center of his legacy still points back to Oklahoma City, where his peak years helped define an era. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Is Becoming A Real Thunder Problem They Can't Ignore
Cason Wallace keeps giving Oklahoma City reasons to think bigger about his long-term place in the rotation. The Thunder guard has made real strides on both ends, and his improved offense during the 2025-26 playoffs only adds to the sense that he is becoming more than just a useful piece. For a team built around depth and flexibility, that kind of growth is exactly what makes a young player hard to budget for.
The complication is timing. Oklahoma City is already navigating salary-cap pressure and a wave of future money that will shape every decision it makes, and Wallaces next step could push his market value into a range the Thunder would rather avoid. With comparable young guards around the league moving toward major extensions, the front office may soon have to decide whether Wallace is a priority worth stretching for or another promising player whose cost climbs beyond what the roster can comfortably absorb. [Read more 🡒]