As we count down the mere hours until the Thunder embark on their quest for revenge against the Spurs, and commence B2A on the league as a whole, the guys get together to do their first 4×4 of the season. In which all 4 members of the show answer 4 questions about the Thunder.

This format will appear throughout the year and about different subjects. They will be available on a $7 tier. This one will be free as a preview, but they will be charged thereafter.

Without further adieu, let’s dive into some questions that have been burning on our minds.

1. Would you consider Cason Wallace’s contract fair, a value, or an overpay?

Dylan: I think it’s fair with potential to turn into a value. You look at guys around the league that got paid recently like Christian Braun, Dyson Daniels, etc. and they all are getting paid $25 mil a year. One could argue they have shown more potential offensively, but I could just as easily argue Cason hasn’t been given the freedom or role that these guys have had. Cason is an NBA champion, a playoff riser, and one of the best defenders in the sport. That alone is enough for the 27.5. If he adds some on ball scoring/creation, or ups his 3 point percentage? HUGE value.

Alex: I always thought the number would land around 27.5 million. I’m sure the Thunder wanted a number in the $25 million range range and Cason’s camp likely wanted to see if they could push it north of $30 million. In the end, both sides likely conceded and the middle ground was where it landed. 

I consider this a pretty fair deal. Even if Cason doesn’t improve much on offense, but remains the assassin that he is on defense, this deal will age gracefully. He’s a winning player and a very important cog in the machine that is Thunder basketball. Always remember, this is a good problem to have. If you draft a player that four years into their career will likely be commanding $25 million plus on the open market, then you’ve done something right. 

Yonny: It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold, it’s just right. I think this contract is exactly in the middle where both sides feel like they’re conceding for the betterment of the team. 

At an annual contract value of just under $28 per season, Cason is slated to take up ~11% of the salary cap for OKC. For reference, the average starter in the NBA makes roughly $33M per season. I think this is a big envelope of trust towards Cason that he’s going to be a worthwhile long term starter/high value bench piece for the team moving forward. Based on Shams reports, Cason Wallace was expected to have a huge market in restricted free agency and with teams like the Sacramento Kings looming an offer north of $30M per season was all but a guarantee. It seems his agency decided to take a slight haircut for security and comfort with OKC, while the Thunder valued him too much to allow +/-$3M to be a valid reason to let him go.

Cone: This feels like pretty fair value for a guy who’s a top five perimeter defender in the sport at 22 years old and has shown a lot of flashes on the offensive end when he’s had an increased role. Caso’s in for a really big season as a new starter and I believe restricted free agency would’ve caused that number to get closer to 30-35 million. He fits in perfectly as a glue guy next to the big three and having a guy like that locked up for 5 years is incredibly good business, especially since that won’t be hanging over his or the team’s heads for the entire season.

If you’re concerned about the deal, it’s about the same percentage of cap that we gave Lu Dort on his big deal which ended up being a perfectly fine contract. Cason has more upside, is younger than Dort was at that time, and we’re in a championship window. No reason to be upset.

1. What is your biggest concern about the Thunder this season that has you like the Morty laying down meme?

Dylan: Injuries not withstanding, I would say my biggest concern is how does Chet bounce back. I love Chet and I believe in his potential and what he has shown wholeheartedly. And while he had a GREAT season last year (his best), the last thing anyone remembers is him being punked continuously by the Spurs. And not even just Wemby, but Vassell, Champagnie, Castle, etc. We know Chet is a fierce competitor so I have no doubt he’s going to fight back this year, and come out with a vengeance. But if he doesn’t that makes me a little concerned about his mentality, and starts to question a tiny bit if this is a hill he will ever be able to get over.

Alex: My biggest concern is “do the Spurs have our number?” It feels like every time the Thunder are about to build something great, another team steps up with a generational talent to stop us in our tracks. First it was LeBron and the Heatles. Then, immediately afterwards, it was Steph and the Warriors. Thankfully, we at least got one Larry O’B out of this group. But what if injuries, the cost of the team, and the continued improvement/development of the Spurs just puts us in a perpetual cycle of playoff exits to where eventually the team has to continue cutting around the edges until this iteration whittles away. I know, I just got dark, but we’ve seen this movie play out before. 

Yonny: Mine is pretty simple, who is actually going to step up consistently alongside Shai when the going gets tough.

We all have emotional scars left by Chet vs the 2026 Spurs and injured key pieces last season, but the question still feels up in the air of who’s actually going to consistently deliver with Shai. Multiple players have had their spurts from Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, and even Chet at times; the main problem is it hasn’t been as consistent as the team would’ve hoped for in high leverage situations. The easy and probable answer is Jalen Williams, he’s consistently shown up big for this team when available and in the brief stints that he was healthy he’s looked great. I think everything is lined up for him to be the guy who steps up every night and be that go to high level scorer this season. While Shai is a shoe in to score over 30 a game, if JDub is able to get his scoring closer to the 25 ppg mark or drastically improve his efficiency we’ll be talking about a totally different level of dominance for this team. 

Cone: It has to be injuries. The NBA is facing more of those than ever right now and we’re coming off back to back seasons where we lost an All-NBA guy for an extended period. Not to mention injuries to Ajay, Hartenstein, Caruso, and even Shai a bit last season. We managed to go to game seven vs the Spurs last year despite missing Ajay and Dub which makes me very confident in our ability to survive injuries on a night to night basis, but it would be particularly devastating for another season to fall apart at the buzzer because of things beyond the team’s control. Law of averages says this SHOULD be a healthier season than we’ve had the last few years, but there’s always a chance that it isn’t.

1. Who do you think is the Thunders biggest X factor this season?

Dylan: It’s Chet. He is the anchor to this defense. He has eternal upside. And he is at a crossroads. This team lost their physical tone setter in Dort, so in a lot of ways there is a void there in terms of what their identity is. If Chet is able to shoulder the responsibility of not showing up in the WCF, and channel that into a scorched earth type of season, then I could easily see the team taking on that some mentality. 

Alex: Honestly, a healthy J-Dub. Despite the injury to Ajay Mitchell and the lack of productivity from Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins throughout the season, I still think a healthy Dub catapults us at least to the Finals last season. I mean, it was a close game in the fourth quarter of Game 7 with all those things against us. 

Yonny: Cason Wallace signed a major extension at the buzzer so this feels like a fitting place for him as he’s primed to become a starter for the Thunder as we enter the 2026-27 season. 

One of the major gripes with the Thunder from 2024-25 to now was Lu Dort being in the starting line up and with that not a question anymore given he’s not on the team, it will be exciting to see who takes that spot and what they do with it. Cason is the easy answer for a shoe in here, especially considering his defensive prowess paired with his steady, more predictable offensive game. If Cason develops into a true perimeter threat and aggressive scorer this Thunder team has potential to be even more lethal than years past. Dort, while he is a Thunder legend, was a major negative in most match ups for OKC, so what happens with on/off splits in regards to the starting line up is something I’ll have a close eye on.

Cone: It’s Jalen Williams and always has been Jalen Williams. He’s so dynamic as a downhill weapon and the key to the Thunder beating the Spurs in what feels like an inevitable Western Conference Finals rematch. Chet will be fine, Shai will be Shai, and I trust that Dub will be Dub, but him perhaps taking another step forward, knocking down the three ball with consistency, and further propping up the team in non Shai minutes would take this team from favorites to dominant title run. More than anything, I just want to see a fully healthy season from Jalen Williams and I’m hopeful that an extended period of rest for his hamstrings, and now over a year removed from his wrist injury, we’re about to see the best version of him yet.

1. What’s your prediction for the Spurs game? Score and (player of the game with stats prediction)

Dylan: Score predictions are always tough for me, so I’m gonna say 69-67 winks at camera. In all seriousness, give me OKC to win 108-99. Shai is the player of the game with a 40 piece. Dub has 23, 6, 5. Chet has a double double. Ajay and McCain combine for 35, on 6 3PM. Let’s get weird.

Alex: Thunder win 107 – 102. SGA scores 30+, Dub shines with an all-around game, and Chet has a normal 14 pt, 8 Reb game to keep all the haters and naysayers at bay. 

Yonny: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be the player of the game in a thrilling 117-111 win for OKC on opening night. Shai will have a classic 35 & 7 statline; Chet will redeem the narrative by scoring an even 20 alongside JDub. The swing piece for the game will be Jared McCain who hits a number of crucial three pointers to keep the Thunder in it before they pull away in the fourth off some Shai heroics.

Cone: Thunder win 115 – 111 in an opening night classic. It’ll be the game of the day and a preview of what’s to come this season. Shai 30 ball, Dub and Chet 20 a piece, and the swing factor ends up being Aday Mara who excels in his 12 minutes he plays and his outlet passing, rebounding, and a couple thunderous dunks help the Thunder go on a 10-0 spurt which ends up being the difference. Oh and a big Shai catch and shoot three to go up 2 in the final minute.