{
  "id": 16111062,
  "title": "Thunder player who will shock NBA world with breakout 2026-27 season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/thunder-player-who-will-shock-nba-world-with-breakout-2026-27-season",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-22T21:42:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/thunder-player-shock-nba-world-214249756.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the 2026-27 NBA season gets underway, the Oklahoma City Thunder are setting their sights on another deep playoff run. With last season's heartbreaking loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals fresh in their minds, they're looking to players on their roster to have breakout seasons. While Ajay Mitchell is already showing signs of a stellar season, it's fourth-year guard Cason Wallace who is poised for the biggest surprise. Wallace, who agreed to a five-year, $139 million contract extension with the Thunder right before the regular season, has been an integral part of their rotation. Last season, he averaged an impressive 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 steals, all while holding down between 26 to 28 minutes per game. In the playoffs, his numbers improved even further with 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals. His shooting percentage was also impressive with 43.2 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from the 3-point line, and a team-best 80.9 percent from the free-throw line. Now, entering the new season, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has opted to start Wallace, which bodes well for a breakout season. If Wallace continues to build on his strong rookie season, he could very well shock the NBA world with his performance.",
  "summary": "With the 2026-27 NBA season underway, the Oklahoma City Thunder are hoping for another trip to the NBA Finals after a heartbreaking Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs last year. Although the Spurs are young and hungry and hoping to get back to the Finals themselves, the Thunder still have plenty in the tank to make another deep […] The post Thunder player who will shock NBA…",
  "key_points": [
    "Cason Wallace set to shock NBA with breakout 2026-27 season",
    "Signed five-year, $139 million contract with Thunder pre-season",
    "Started as team's starting guard for new season"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}