Thunder’s Cason Wallace reveals biggest driver of next contract and it’s not money

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s title defense came to an end a few days ago at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. The heavyweight matchup between the two teams went down to the wire, but in the end, San Antonio was victorious against the depleted champions. Now, OKC faces a ton of questions, especially with its roster.

With their core players’ contracts expiring soon, the Thunder now need to figure out how to stay competitive while signing their players to the deals they deserve. Cason Wallace is one of these players who’s due to sign a contract extension soon. OKC is expected to pick up the guard’s team option, but a long-term extension for Wallace is looming on the horizon.

Wallace, for his part, isn’t too worried about the upcoming contract discussions. During his interview, the Thunder guard said that his biggest motivation for his next contract is his drive to improve.

“I’m not money-driven,” Wallace said. “I want to compete. That’s the main focus for me. Whether I get paid this summer or not, I’m gonna get better because that’s what I have to do to stay in this league.”

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Wallace has been one of the most consistent pieces for the Thunder through the last two years. He was an integral part of OKC’s championship run last season, starting multiple games in the postseason. Though his role was slightly diminished this season due to Ajay Mitchell’s breakout, the hard-nosed defender still made an impact this postseason.

Wallace was the only starter other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in double figures in Game 7 against the Spurs. The Thunder guard put up 17 points, most of which came in the fourth quarter. He seemed to be the only player outside of SGA with a pulse in the fourth, making three after three to keep the defending champions in the game.

The Thunder still have one more year with Wallace on a cheap contract. After next season, though, there might be some uncomfortable discussions about the guard and what the team has to do about him.

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