Cason David Wallace (/ˈkeɪsən, keɪˈsɒn/ KAY-sən, kay-SON;[1][2] born November 7, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[3] He was a consensus five-star recruit and a top 5 player in the 2022 class.
 Wallace with Kentucky in 2023 | |
| No. 22 – Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 7, 2003 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Richardson (Richardson, Texas) |
| College | Kentucky (2022–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 1st round, 10th overall pick |
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
He is cousin to 2012 NBA champion Terrel Harris and two-time Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl XXXII Most Valuable Player, and Pro Football Hall of Fame Running Back Terrell Davis.
High school career
Wallace attended Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas where he played under coach Kevin Lawson. As a senior, he was the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for Texas and the Dallas Morning News boys basketball Player of the Year after averaging 19.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.[4][5] He was selected to play in the 2022 McDonalds All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.[6] A five-star recruit, Wallace committed to the University of Kentucky to play college basketball.[7][8]
Professional career
Oklahoma City Thunder (2023–present)
The Dallas Mavericks selected Wallace with the tenth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft then traded him, along with Davis Bertans, to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the 12th overall pick, Dereck Lively II.[9]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Oklahoma City | 82 | 13 | 20.6 | .491 | .419 | .784 | 2.3 | 1.5 | .9 | .5 | 6.8 |
| Career | 82 | 13 | 20.6 | .491 | .419 | .784 | 2.3 | 1.5 | .9 | .5 | 6.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Oklahoma City | 10 | 0 | 19.8 | .390 | .321 | .500 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .9 | .2 | 4.2 |
| Career | 10 | 0 | 19.8 | .390 | .321 | .500 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .9 | .2 | 4.2 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Kentucky | 32 | 32 | 32.2 | .446 | .346 | .757 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 11.7 |
References
- ^ Cason Wallace checking in. Oklahoma City Thunder. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ YOKO B [@yoko_okc] (June 24, 2023). "Here is footage of Cason's explanation. Right pronunciation is Kay-sahn, he said" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "2022 Top Basketball Recruits". 247Sports. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "Richardson's Cason Wallace is named Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year". March 17, 2022.
- ^ "The Dallas Morning News' 2021–22 boys basketball Player of the Year: Richardson's Cason Wallace". March 24, 2022.
- ^ "Can offensive game match Kentucky basketball freshman Cason Wallace's defensive work?".
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (November 8, 2021). "Top-10 recruit Wallace chooses 'dream school' UK". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Roberts, Ben (November 7, 2021). "Kentucky's newest recruit will be hard to keep off the court. 'A do-everything kid.'". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ "Thunder Acquires Cason Wallace and Dāvis Bertāns". nba.com. July 6, 2023.