Cason Wallace looks wonderful

Another keeper makes impossible roster math for OKC

On Getty Images you can easily see 21-year-old Thunder guard Cason Wallace guarding Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and others. MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Am I proud of myself for declaring, back in March, that the Thunder would win this year’s title? Now that all of their most feared West rivals have been retired, and they’re up 2-0 against the Wolves, you bet.

One of the coolest things about their first 13 playoff games of 2024-2025 is that it included trials. That Denver series was a pressure-cooker, perhaps even the shadow NBA Finals. The Thunder trailed 1-0 and 2-1, had overtime—and then a mega-stakes Game 7.

The young Thunder began acing tests. They won Game 7, against Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets, by 32.

Through the process, players who were nice-to-have have become indispensable. Their three max-salary players for the long haul are sure to b…