2023 NBA Draft: How analysts graded OKC’s addition of Kentucky’s Cason Wallace

Kentucky’s Cason Wallace was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks, but after a draft night trade it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder who he’ll join to start his NBA career.

Here is a collection of what some draft analysts had to say about Wallace being chosen with the 10th overall pick.

A — Bryan Kalbrosky, For the Win/USA Today Sports: “Wallace is a defensive-oriented guard who can provide solid depth to the backcourt rotation for the Thunder. … I love adding a low-usage, pass-first player like Wallace who can help defend at the point of attack.“

A — Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: “The Thunder moved up two spots to land a perfect complementary guard in Wallace. Wallace is an elite defender with super quick and super strong hands. … He’s another tough defender and capable shooter for a promising Thunder core that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.”

B — Danny Chau, The Ringer: The Thunder … continue building their cadre of perimeter players who are simply good at playing basketball. Wallace is a no-nonsense pick, one of the very best perimeter defenders in the draft. … He’s an efficient, if unexciting, offensive prospect, but it’s fair to wonder whether the Thunder — who have done a remarkable job developing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams — can unlock more offensive upside, as has been the case for basically every Kentucky prospect that’s cracked an NBA rotation.”

B — Andy Finkelstein, CBS Sports: “I am a Cason Wallace fan, especially after he was better offensively than we expected before his injury. He showed playmaking flashes and a good shot. The thing you have to wonder is what else Sam Presti has up his sleeve because they have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. To trade up for a player who probably would have been available later when he doesn’t seem to fit into the current roster cleanly is interesting.”

B — Chinmay Vaidya, DraftKings: “Wallace needs the ball in his hands to make an impact, and he might not have it much in Oklahoma City. The Thunder can afford to take a chance on his upside so this isn’t a total throwaway but it’s an odd selection.”

B — Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated: “The Thunder move up to land arguably the best non-Wembanyama defensive prospect in the draft. Wallace’s offensive game was somewhat inconsistent at Kentucky, but he was forced into difficult situations on a team with limited floor spacing. … Plus, Kentucky guards have often overperformed their draft position in the NBA under John Calipari.”

B — Brad Rowland, UPROXX: “The fit could be a bit of a challenge for Wallace in OKC with a backcourt that is already quite full with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, and others. In a vacuum, Wallace is a solid pick here, though, as he might be the best perimeter defender in the draft. There are some questions about his offensive ceiling, particularly as a shooter, but the overall package is encouraging.”

B- — Kyle Irving, Sporting News: “This is a curious pick, considering Oklahoma City already has two franchise cornerstone playmakers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Their grade is less about Wallace as a prospect and more about the logjam of similarly skilled guards.”

B- — Yahoo Sports: “Wallace is arguably the best on-ball defensive guard in this class and can comfortably guard both backcourt positions at a high level. He’s a tough guard who loves to turn the corner and get downhill. Wallace showed he can play on and off the ball during his one year at Kentucky, and he could be the next great guard to come out of Coach John Calipari’s system to hit the NBA.”

C+ — Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report: “When the Thunder like a prospect more than most, it’s usually smart trusting their assessment. If they felt Wallace was (at least) the 10th-best prospect in this class, history says they could easily be right. … His offense is more of a mixed bag, though that’s been the case with a lot of guards coming out of Kentucky lately, and they all seem to grow their games at this level. … This isn’t necessarily a reach, as weighing Wallace against similarly ranked backcourt prospects like Kobe Bufkin and Jalen Hood-Schifino requires some hair-splitting. Still, I’m not convinced Wallace will be a hand-in-glove fit with the guards Oklahoma City has already.”

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