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Cason Wallace dazzles in NBA Summer League debut for Oklahoma City Thunder

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Cason Wallace, unlike certain other former SEC standouts, was red-hot right out of the gates in his NBA Summer League debut.

The former Kentucky guard now with the Oklahoma City Thunder made his official on-court debut on Saturday. In a 91-80 Thunder win over the Dallas Mavericks (the team that technically selected him), Wallace scored a team-best 20 points while connecting on 6 of his 10 3-pointers.

As the Thunder waited for the trade that sent his rights to them to be finalized, Wallace sat out the team’s run through the Utah Summer League circuit. During their first game in Las Vegas on Saturday, Wallace wasted little time paying fans back for their patience.

He scored 15 points by the halftime break, draining 5 of his 6 shot attempts from beyond the arc. He also finished the game with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 shot-clock-beating triple from just inside the halfcourt line.

The No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wallace joins a crowded backcourt in Oklahoma City. But things may open up a bit in the near future. OKC is well over the 15-man roster limit and will likely look to move several players ahead of the start of the new year. That should open up space for Wallace — arguably the best defender in his draft class — on the wing.

And with the Thunder still building, there’s no reason Wallace shouldn’t see the floor plenty as a rookie.

Especially if he keeps knocking down shots the way he was on Saturday.

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.

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