Thunder Trade Up, Add Cason Wallace and Keyontae Johnson in 2023 NBA Draft

Daily Thunder Staff -

Oklahoma City moved up to knab Cason Wallace via Dallas's #10 pick in a draft-night trade, per Shams Charania.

  • OKC receives: Cason Wallace (drafted at #10), Davis Bertans
  • Dallas receives: OKC's #12 pick and a $17MM traded player exception

Wallace, a defense-oriented guard with two-way upside selected by Aidan Elrod for the Thunder in DT's mock draft podcast, is the prize here. The Thunder absorbing Bertans' onerous contract ($17MM this year, with a $16MM player option in 2024-25) was the only benefit for the Mavericks in the deal.

Elrod recently summarized Wallace's fit in OKC in our draft preview:

Wallace is a really stout defender with a strong frame and defensive instincts, coming in at 6'4 and 195 at the combine with a near 6'9 wingspan. Wallace has incredible hands, with a 3.7% steal rate this past year and a game against Michigan State where he collected 8 steals. He's a great finisher at the basket despite a lack of ideal size and burst, shooting a fantastic 71.2% at the rim this past season with only 9.6% of those makes being assisted on a poorly spaced Kentucky team. His shooting is a work in progress--75% from the line and 35% from three this past year on 127 attempts--but he did convert an intriguing 41% on all pullup jumpers. Wallace was not a lead guard at Kentucky and won't be so in the NBA, but he's a potential tertiary or maybe secondary ball handler in some lineup constructions. He may never be a star due to his lack of height and on-ball creation, but should fill in as a valuable role player.

The Thunder went on to use the 50th pick to select Keyontae Johnson, a 23-year-old forward out of Kansas State, in the second round.

And the Thunder Select: A Guide to the 2023 NBA Draft
Who the Thunder might take, and why, with picks #12 and #50 in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Daily ThunderAidan Elrod