Rumor: NBA teams eyeing OKC to see if they can trade for Cason Wallace

Falling painfully close to their back-to-back ambitions, the Oklahoma City Thunder return to square one with the rest of the league. Relinquished from the NBA throne, that means they join 28 other teams who are playing catch-up to the New York Knicks for the next year.The first step to see if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can add another ring to his all-time resume?

What the Thunder do this upcoming summer. For the first time in a couple of offseason cycles, they're about to go through some roster changes around the complementary pieces.A handful of players will see their long-term future decided.

One of those is Cason Wallace. Fresh off a breakout year where he earned an All-Defense nod, he's eligible for a contract extension. He has one year, $7.

4 million left on his rookie-scale deal. The Thunder could lock him up for the long-term future this summer.Of course, easier said than done.

Expect an old-school negotiation process from both sides. The Thunder will point to Wallace's declining 3-point shooting numbers over the years. Meanwhile, the latter will point to his accolades and playoff numbers — along with saying the 22-year-old's career trajectory arrow is pointing up.

Either way, it sounds like the Thunder and Wallace will eventually come to terms on some sorta deal. At least that's what the tea leaves suggest. But if things go sideways, NBA teams have already made calls to OKC to test its interest in a potential polarizing trade, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto."

Oklahoma City can also extend Wallace, an All-Defensive Team selection last season. Recent comparable guards who’ve signed contract extensions include Dyson Daniels andChristian Braun, who both signed for $25 million per season, and Jalen Suggs, who signed for $30 million annually," Scotto wrote. "Should Wallace enter restricted free agency next year, he’d be a highly coveted player.

Various teams have called the Thunder through Wallace’s tenure to gauge what it would take to pry him from the franchise."I thi