Expected contract terms revealed for Cason Wallace after selection in 2023 NBA Draft
Cason Wallace became the latest Kentucky product to hear his name called in the NBA Draft. Now, with his distinction as the No. 10 pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2023, the Richardson, Texas native will be cashing in a pretty penny.
According to Michael Ginnitti at Spotrac, Wallace should be looking at a four-year contract with OKC. That deal will comes with a price tag of $24 million. It will steadily increase over his first three seasons before doubling in the final season to a total of $10.1 million.
The tenth pick of the draft was originally Dallas’ to use. They then swapped at No. 12 with Oklahoma City. In the end, OKC got Wallace and Davis Bertans while the Mavericks slid back to select Duke’s Dereck Lively II.
As a full-time starter in Lexington, Wallace averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and two steals per game. The SEC All-Freshman selection did it all for UK, including earning continual praise as a high-end defender while growing offensively at the collegiate level. In the end, he became the 24th lottery selection for Kentucky during the John Calipari era.
Wallace was a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 7 prospect in 2022 per On3’s Industry Ranking. He was rated as the class’s No. 1 combo guard and the best player out of The Lone Star State. He was also named the 2022 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, a McDonald’s All-American, and to the Jordan Brand Classic roster in high school.
Wallace will now join former Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a very interesting Oklahoma City roster next season. It should potentially make for a very quality pairing of former Wildcats in OKC’s backcourt as the Thunder look to take the next step in the Western Conference in ’23-’24.
John Calipari congratulates Cason Wallace after selection in 2023 NBA Draft
Kentucky head coach John Calipari has gotten to see many of his players fulfill their NBA dreams over the years. On Thursday, he watched as Oklahoma City drafted Cason Wallace at tenth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft’s opening round. Then the Kentucky head coach took some time to share his thoughts on Twitter once Wallace was drafted.
Former Wildcats have found more than their fair share of success in the association. That fact should have Thunder fans excited about the chance that they have with Wallace now as a member of their organization.