The Oklahoma City Thunder - a team once touted as one of the best of all time, on the back of the two-time and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - have finally been vanquished.
In what can be described as nothing short of jaw-dropping, OKC's bane from France, Victor Wembanyama, utterly dominated his interior counterpart - Chet Holmgren - all night long in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, ultimately granting his San Antonio Spurs their first berth to the NBA Finals since the Tim Duncan era.
While the Spurs move on to face the very team that bested the Hawks this April, the Thunder are headed a very different direction. They may be forced to give up some of their prized roster gems, thanks to constricted cap space under the second apron; one which happens to be the brother of a current Hawk.
San Antonio's improbable upset is already reverberating the league
As 28 other teams bear solemn witness to the apparent coronation of the next face of the league, Oklahoma City is focused elsewhere. Amidst extending Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a whopping collective ~$800M through 2031, what was once a bank overflowing with jewels has turned into a ransacked treasury overnight.
OKC will nearly certainly be forced to part ways with both Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein this offseason - both intriguing targets for the Hawks, should they show interest.
Beyond the vets, OKC has two young guns that quickly proved they not only belong with the Thunder's big three for the long haul, but they also deserve contracts not entirely dissimilar to what Holmgren, Williams, and SGA have earned already.
Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace will be extension eligible in the blink of an eye - while Mitchell is set to remain on his rookie deal through 2028, Wallace will begin to earn the big bucks after next season's conclusion. The question is - can OKC oblige his two necessities?
Cason Wallace's two difficult asks from OKC could easily be met by Atlanta
Wallace was interviewed on Sunday after being eliminated by the Spurs the night before, and gave ample insight into his goals in the NBA long-term. Beyond the obvious enticement of getting a second (and much larger) contract, Wallace had this to say:
"I love the Thunder, but I'm more focused on getting better."
Can Oklahoma City reliably provide either a hefty extension, or more on-ball reps for Wallace while SGA, JDub, Chet, and even Ajay Mitchell exist in the same ecosystem?
No, and no.
It just so happens that the Hawks are not only clear to offer a large contract to Wallace as soon as this very summer, but with the inevitable departure or down-scaling of McCollum in the near future, will also be in dire need of a guard with all-around skills such as OKC's Wallace.
In addition to Atlanta's obvious draw thanks to their cap space and role vacuum, Cason's brother, Keaton, has been slowly integrated into the system as a bench playmaker over the past two seasons, and has shown very real defensive promise.
In fact, Keaton was second in the NBA last season amongst rookies in defensive rating (108.4), falling just shy of OKC's other incumbent youngster, Ajay Mitchell.
The Wallace brothers aren't the only siblings Atlanta could reunite this offseason in the A
Besides Cason and Keaton, Atlanta could also join two other brothers this summer: Dyson and Dash Daniels!
The younger Daniels has shown much of what Dyson demonstrated throughout his time with the G-League Ignite, prior to being selected 8th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2022 NBA Draft. Since then, Dyson has established himself as the creme de la creme of perimeter defenders - it's not too farfetched to suggest Dash might have the same potential.
Dash Daniels has had a bit of a down year, largely due to circumstance. Playing overseas against older, more challenging competition has knocked Daniels down ~30 slots in many mock drafts. Where he once sat in the mid-first round, Dash is now a consensus mid-second round pick.
While it seems unlikely, the idea that Atlanta could pair not one, but two sibling sets of defensive-minded guards is incredibly intriguing - time will tell if Onsi Saleh decides to make the call.
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