Inside The Thunder

Mark Daigneault Reveals Cason Wallace 'Unlikely' to play in NBA Summer League

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to endure a seven-game Summer League session with Cason Wallace not participating.

Rylan Stiles

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to embark on the Summer League circuit which will include seven games across two cities which will require plenty of depth. After selecting three players in the 2024 NBA Draft - two of which will be eligible to play in the Summer League as Nikola Topic - many came into the day expecting second-year guard Cason Wallace to be part of the Thunder's Summer League program.

While Wallace is too good of a player in the typical sense to spend time developing, the Kentucky product is expected to be tasked with more playmaking next season - the Summer League sessions projected to be a low-risk high-reward environment to get reps in live game action toward that development.

Even if just for Salt Lake City - or the half of action Jalen Williams saw in his second year - many were gearing up to see Wallace on the hardwood in July.

However, at Saturday's rookie introductory press conference at a scrum with head coach Mark Daigneault, the bench boss announced it is "unlikely," that Wallace plays in Summer League.

"He is definitely working...He has put a lot of work into this point, we are looking forward to seeing what he looks like when we get these guys back in September...They are all going to come back better individually," Daigneault said when asked if Wallace will be tasked with more playmaking and play in summer league.

The Thunder will spend the Summer circuit relying on Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell to headline the roster - Though perhaps Ousmane Dieng will be on the roster after being cut from Team France.

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Rylan Stiles

RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network. 

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