OKC Thunder Rookie Inks Nike Shoe Deal
Oklahoma City rookie guard Cason Wallace has his first shoe deal.
On Monday morning, Nick DePaula reported that 13 rookies from the 2023 NBA Draft have inked Nike shoe deals, including Wallace.
The Thunder guard is joined by Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Anthony Black, Kobe Brown, Bilal Coulibaly, Keyonte George, Jordan Hawkins, Dereck Lively II, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Julian Strawther.
After one solid season at Kentucky, Wallace was the No. 10 pick in this summer's draft. As a freshman with the Wildcats, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and two steals per game.
Wallace's efforts earned him SEC All-Freshman honors in 2023.
The defensive-minded playmaker has had a great start to his NBA career thus far, scoring 20 points while knocking down six 3-point shots in his first Summer League game. In the preseason, Wallace also had a good showing, tallying 13 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists while shooting 6-of-9 from the field in OKC's final preseason contest.
Hailing from Richardson, TX, Wallace was a 5-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. Now entering his rookie season in the NBA, the Thunder's rookie guard should be in line to earn regular minutes in Oklahoma City's rotation.
As a great defender who is a willing and able passer, Wallace should fit seamlessly into Mark Daigneault's system. Coming off the bench for OKC this season, Wallace should be a huge boost to the team's second unit, which has a few other intriguing players to pair with the mature ball-handler.
Additionally, Wallace received plenty of praise from his teammates over the offseason, with Kenrich Williams saying that the rookie operates like a seasoned veteran.
With a shoe deal now under his belt, there will be even more expectation for Wallace to perform well in his first professional season. The rookie guard, however, seems happy to fill his role and help the team win however he can.
The Thunder kick off regular season action at 7 P.M. CT on Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Chicago.
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