With Lu Dort gone, Oklahoma City suddenly has a real opening to sort out at shooting guard, and the Thunder aren’t treating it like a decision that needs to be forced before the first tip.
Cason Wallace looked like the cleanest answer when camp opened, but Mark Daigneault hasn’t locked anything in, and that hesitation tells you plenty. The organization has spent the summer talking openly about wanting to “reimagine” how it operates, so there’s no reason to rush into a familiar answer just because it’s the simplest one.
That leaves a camp and preseason competition at the two, with Wallace and Ajay Mitchell as the names to watch.
Wallace makes the most obvious case on paper. He’s already established himself as an All-Defensive player, he’s hitting 37.4 percent of his career threes, and he spent the last three years learning directly behind Dort. If the Thunder wanted to preserve the same kind of structure that helped power three straight No. 1 seeds in the Western Conference, back-to-back Conference Finals trips and an NBA championship, Wallace would be the straightforward plug-in.
But the Thunder have made it clear they’re open to something different, and that’s where Mitchell comes in.
The soon-to-be third-year guard isn’t new to starting. Last season he made 16 regular-season starts and averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 41.7 percent from the field. In the postseason, he started seven times and put up 18.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.
Oklahoma City went 22-1 across that stretch, and Mitchell posted the team’s best plus-minus during his postseason run.
So the Thunder have two legitimate paths here. Wallace fits the mold if they want to keep the defensive backbone and familiar balance that came with Dort. Mitchell makes more sense if they want to tilt harder toward offense and chase the kind of production that helped fuel last year’s .956 win percentage.
Either way, this looks like something the Thunder plan to test before they settle on a starter next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
In Other News...
Thunder Could Be Eyeing Another Low Cost Trade Swing
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From Oklahoma Citys side, the appeal is obvious enough to follow the breadcrumbs. The Thunder have an open roster spot, plenty of draft capital and the kind of salary cap flexibility that can make a low-cost deal easier to navigate, while Knechts rookie contract adds longer-term appeal for a team that likes to keep optionality in play. Whether the Lakers actually move him soon is the unresolved piece, but OKC has the profile of a team ready to pounce if he does become available. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team that already likes the balance Holmgren and Hartenstein bring, the next step is figuring out how the newer pieces fit without slowing the development curve. Hartenstein has made clear he is willing to help guide Mara as he gets comfortable, which only adds to the sense that Oklahoma City sees this as more than depth for depths sake. How quickly that group comes together could end up mattering a lot when the games get bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Forgotten Thunder Veteran Suddenly Has A Real Opening In OKC
The Thunders offseason reshuffling has created a cleaner path for several familiar faces, and Kenrich Williams is one of the veterans who could benefit. With Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell positioned as clear winners from the roster turnover, Williams also stands to see more meaningful minutes thanks to the blend of experience and shooting he brings to Oklahoma City.
Williams has also been paying close attention to rookie Aday Mara, even after a Summer League showing that drew mixed reactions. He pointed to Maras defensive tools and overall upside as reasons for patience, which fits the Thunders broader habit of valuing growth as much as immediate production. For a team that keeps finding ways to mine value from overlooked pieces, Williams remains part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]