The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Sunday a pair of roster moves. They picked up the 2026-27 team options for Cason Wallace and Nikola Topic. The former had his fourth-year option exercised, while the latter had his third-year option exercised.
This is business as usual for the Thunder. Wallace was taken with the No. 10 pick of the 2023 NBA draft. Topic was taken with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. In the NBA, first-round players have team options for the latter two years of their four-year contracts.
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Wallace has been a success for the Thunder. The 21-year-old has had two seasons of high-quality 3-and-D basketball. He’s been a pseudo-starter in his two years and has averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and two assists. He could be due for a Year 3 leap as a playmaker.
Meanwhile, Topic remains intriguing. Injuries have limited him. He missed his first season with a partially torn ACL. He recently had a testicular procedure that’ll knock him out for around the first 15 games of the 2025-26 regular season. The 20-year-old is a project but has a high feel for his playmaking.
The Thunder will rely on both to be contributors. As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren take up most of their payroll for the foreseeable future, young players on cheap rookie contracts are how they will fill out the rest of the roster.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder pick up 2026-27 options for Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic