NBA
CW
#22

Cason Wallace

Guard · Oklahoma City Thunder · 6'3", 195 lb · Born Nov 7, 2003 · Dallas, Texas · Drafted 10th overall, 2023
2025 ChampionAll-Rookie 2nd TeamMcDonald's All-AmericanOklahoma City Thunder
NBAOklahoma City ThunderGuards
Compare:vs Mitchellvs Carusovs Holmgrenvs Hartensteinvs Williamsvs Dort
In short

Cason Wallace is a young 3-and-D guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder and a 2025 NBA champion. A five-star recruit out of Richardson, Texas, he starred one season at Kentucky, was drafted 10th overall by Dallas in 2023, and traded to OKC on draft night. Known for lightning-fast hands and point-of-attack defense, he made All-Rookie Second Team in 2024 and played in every game of the 2025 title run after returning from a shoulder injury.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceTue, Nov 10
@Denver NuggetsSwitch-heavy
Proj. points
8.6
range 5.9–11.3
Line 8.5
52%
to go over
Team win
37%
113–116
Poi 8.6 Lean overReb 3.2 Lean overAss 2.6 Lean overPRA 14.4 Lean under
Likely on himPeyton Watson· 84 Perimeter DStrong defender
5+ pts88%10+ pts32%

Model lines Wallace at 8.6 pts (range 5.9–11.3) vs a 8.5 line — a lean to clear it (52%).

Model favors Denver Nuggets (63%), projected 113–116, ~229 total at 98.9 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Wallace
The Wallace Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

The youngest hands on a champion — a five-star recruit who bet his career on defense and won a ring at 21.

A Dallas kid and McDonald's All-American, Wallace starred one season at Kentucky, then was drafted 10th by the Mavericks in 2023 and flipped to OKC on draft night.

🏀 Kentucky · McDonald's AA10th, 2023 · traded to OKC

His defense translated instantly — All-Rookie Second Team in 2024 — built on the fastest hands in the Thunder backcourt.

All-Rookie 2nd Team🖐️ Elite hands

A shoulder injury slowed his second season, but he returned to play every game of the 2025 playoffs as OKC won its first championship.

🏆 2025 championEvery playoff game

Cousin of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis, he's the connective 3-and-D guard OKC is building around long-term.

8.6 / 2.6 ast · .351 3PTerrell Davis cousin
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
8.6
2025-26
RPG
3.1
per game
APG
2.6
per game
FG%
.432
.351 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A defense-first young guard with the fastest hands on a champion — the connective 3-and-D piece of OKC's core.

Cason David Wallace grew up in the Dallas area and starred at Richardson High School, earning Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American selection as a consensus five-star recruit. After one season at Kentucky, the Dallas Mavericks drafted him 10th overall in 2023 and traded him to Oklahoma City on draft night.

He made an immediate defensive impact, earning All-Rookie Second Team in 2024, and after a late-season shoulder injury in 2024-25 he returned to play every game of the 2025 playoffs as the Thunder won the franchise's first title. His cousin is Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis, and his brother Keaton also played pro basketball.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Wallace comes from an athletic, close-knit Dallas family — parents Kimberly and Mike, and an older brother, Keaton, whom Cason calls the greatest influence on his life. He grew up idolizing LeBron James and, in a full-circle twist, listed fellow Kentucky product Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his favorite former Wildcat before becoming his teammate. Away from the court he plays saxophone and piano and keeps a low profile.

His reputation was built on the defensive end from the start: even in college the question wasn't his defense but whether his offense would catch up. On a champion, that defense-first, low-ego profile made him a plug-and-play fit next to the stars — a young guard content to guard, move the ball, and hit open threes.

PERSONALITY

The person

A quiet, defense-first young guard with elite hands — a low-ego connector who does the winning things.

Ball hawkLightning-fast hands, deflections, and steals set OKC's defensive tone.
Point-of-attack DGuards opposing lead ball-handlers despite his youth.
Low-ego fitContent to defend, move the ball, and space the floor.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
3-and-D Guard · Ball Hawk
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
60/100
Scoring50
Playmaking55
Rebounding40
Perimeter D86
Rim protection25
Spacing64
Athleticism74
Clutch56
Point-of-attack defenderBall hawkConnective guard
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Defense that plays up in the playoffs

Wallace's calling card is point-of-attack defense with elite hands — deflections, steals, and ball pressure that a champion's identity is built on. Returning from a shoulder injury to play every game of the 2025 title run showed the staff trusts his defense in the highest-leverage moments, rare for a second-year player.

The offense catching up

The lone question, as it was at Kentucky, is scoring. At 8.6 points on 35% from three in 2025-26 he's a low-usage complement, not a creator — but on a team with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, all OKC needs is a guard who defends, moves the ball, and knocks down the open ones. If his shooting climbs, he becomes a long-term starter.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267726.68.63.12.6.432.351

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2025Played every game of the championship playoff run after returning from a shoulder injury
2024NBA All-Rookie Second Team
FamilyCousin of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis

Hardware

1×
NBA Champion (2025)
1×
All-Rookie Second Team (2024)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 12, 2026

A cost-controlled, defense-first young guard on the upswing — a core piece of OKC's title window.

Still on his rookie deal, Wallace is exactly the kind of cheap, high-impact defender a contender needs around expensive stars. His hands and point-of-attack defense already play at a playoff level; if his three-point shooting continues to climb, he projects as a long-term starter next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Perimeter defenseExcellent
Hands / disruptionElite
Three-point shootingDeveloping
Age / upside21 · rising

Contract

Role
3-and-D guard core
Age
21 rising
Status
Rookie deal value
Bottom line

A 21-year-old champion who already defends like a veteran. The offense is the only swing skill — and everything else is exactly what OKC wants in its young core.

FAQ

Quick answers

Where did Cason Wallace go to college?

Kentucky, for one season, before the Dallas Mavericks drafted him 10th overall in 2023 and traded him to Oklahoma City on draft night.

Is Cason Wallace related to Terrell Davis?

Yes — Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis is his cousin.

What is Cason Wallace known for?

Point-of-attack defense with elite, fast hands — deflections and steals — as a 3-and-D guard on the 2025 champion Thunder.