Championship lineup disbanded! His contract extension starts at $30 million per year, and the Thunder can't keep him next summer.

The Thunder's title win two seasons ago benefited from the rookie contract structure. Many young players on rookie deals contributed greatly. But as the core stars have signed max extensions over the past few seasons, the Thunder's salary situation has become increasingly difficult.

Therefore, this summer, to further reduce payroll, the team saw three championship players leave: Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, and Aaron Wiggins. The Thunder have already handed out max contracts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, which take up most of the salary cap. Thus, it will be difficult for them to offer large extensions to other players in the future.

But there is a very important player on the Thunder roster whose contract expires after next season. He is currently on a rookie deal, but according to experts, his market value after the contract ends will be over $30 million per year. That player is Cason Wallace, a crucial defensive stalwart for the Thunder.

Wallace is the Thunder's most important perimeter defender and a key point-of-attack defender, often tasked with guarding the opponent's star guard in nearly every game. He has exceptional steal instincts; last season, his steals per game ranked third in the league. His defensive ability is heavily relied upon by the Thunder. In other words, without Wallace's defense, the Thunder's defensive efficiency would not have ranked in the top three in the league.

More importantly, Wallace is not just a defensive stopper; he also has solid offensive skills, but he doesn't get enough touches on the Thunder. Some local media even believe Wallace deserves a max contract. However, many fans think that even if he doesn't get a max deal, his contract value is at least $30 million per year because players of his type are very rare in the league. If the Thunder are unwilling to offer such a contract, plenty of teams will be lining up to sign him next summer.

The Thunder cannot afford to give Wallace such a large contract. Therefore, many fans firmly believe that Wallace will leave the Thunder next summer. The team's championship-winning core from two seasons ago is essentially disbanded. Besides the "Big Three," many important bench players have already departed. In the future, the Thunder may gradually lose their competitiveness.