NBA Draft 2023: OKC Thunder acquires Kentucky's Cason Wallace with No. 10 pick, via trade
NEW YORK — While getting wired up for a TV interview in the back of the Barclays Center green room, Cason Wallace, just selected as the 10th pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, watched on a monitor as Adam Silver announced the Thunder’s pick at No. 12.
And a smirk crossed Wallace’s face.
Dereck Lively II was the name the commissioner said, but Wallace knew he was the Thunder’s pick. The Mavericks hat Wallace wore would soon be exchanged for the Thunder hat Lively donned.
The Thunder moved up two spots in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, sending its No. 12 pick to the Mavericks in exchange for the No. 10 pick and Davis Bertans, who’s owed $33 million over the next two years. The Mavericks wanted to shed Bertans’ contract, and the Thunder was a willing trade partner given the pick upgrade.
And Wallace, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Kentucky, was OKC’s trade-up target.
“It’s hard to put them all in one word,” Wallace said of his emotions. “Excited, anxious, there’s a lot more I can’t even name.”
More: What are the Thunder getting in Cason Wallace? He's a Kentucky Wildcat. Enough said.
Wallace was surrounded by his mom and dad, his brother, cousin, agent and Kentucky coach John Calipari.
“It felt good,” Wallace said of hearing his name called. “A sigh of relief.”
The 19-year-old from Dallas averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as a freshman with the Wildcats. Wallace will team up with another Kentucky guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in Oklahoma City.
Kentucky has now had at least one player selected in the first round in each of the last 14 NBA drafts.
Wallace will play pro ball just three hours up I-35 from Hamilton Park, the north Dallas neighborhood where Wallace was raised.
The acronym “HPT,” for Hamilton Park, Texas, was stitched in red all over his black suit. Wallace wore a red bow tie to match.
“Just giving the message out to everybody,” Wallace said, “that no matter where you come from, if you set your mind to it, you can accomplish it.
“Don’t be ashamed of it. Don’t be ashamed just to tell your story and what you’ve been through.”
More: Carlson: Thunder's newest draftees will be joining a team where development is alive, well
Cason Wallace at a glance
Born: Nov. 7, 2003
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 193 pounds
Position: Guard
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
College: Kentucky
Drafted: First round, No. 10 overall by Dallas Mavericks (draft rights traded to OKC Thunder)
More: NBA draft 2023: What Oklahoma City fans need to know about 1st-round pick Cason Wallace
Cason Wallace. Your newest Thunder. pic.twitter.com/pJ6dxkrhBq
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) June 23, 2023
Cason Wallace watches as the Thunder picks Dereck Lively II, fully knowing that he’s in fact the Thunder’s pick. pic.twitter.com/x5MZn7xqMk
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) June 23, 2023
More: Five things to know about Cason Wallace, OKC Thunder's first-round pick in 2023 NBA Draft
2023 NBA Draft first-round picks
1. San Antonio: Victor Wembanyama, C, France
2. Charlotte: Brandon Miller, SF, Alabama
3. Portland: Scoot Henderson, PG, G League Ignite
4. Houston: Amen Thompson, PG, Overtime Elite
5. Detroit: Ausar Thompson, SG, Overtime Elite
6. Orlando: Anthony Black, SG, Arkansas
7. Indiana (traded to Washington): Bilal Coulibaly, SF, France
8. Washington (traded to Indiana): Jarace Walker, PF, Houston
9. Utah: Taylor Hendricks, PF, UCF
10. Dallas (traded to OKC): Cason Wallace, PG, Kentucky
11. Orlando (from Chicago): Jett Howard, SG, Michigan
12. Oklahoma City (traded to Dallas): Dereck Lively II, C, Duke
13. Toronto: Gradey Dick, SG, Kansas
14. New Orleans: Jordan Hawkins, SG, UConn
15. Atlanta: Kobe Bufkin, PG, Michigan
16. Utah (from Minnesota): Keyonte George, SG, Baylor
17. L.A. Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino, PG, Indiana
18. Miami: Jaime Jaquez Jr., SF, UCLA
19. Golden State: Brandin Podziemski, SG, Santa Clara
20. Houston (from L.A. Clippers): Cam Whitmore, SF, Villanova
21. Brooklyn (from Phoenix): Noah Clowney, PF, Alabama
22. Brooklyn: Dariq Whitehead, SG, Duke
23. Portland (from New York): Kris Murray, PF, Iowa
24. Sacramento: Olivier-Maxence Prosper, PF, Marquette
25. Memphis: Marcus Sasser, PG, Houston
26. Indiana (from Cleveland): Ben Sheppard, SF, Belmont
27. Charlotte (from Denver via New York and Oklahoma City): Nick Smith Jr., PG, Arkansas
28. Utah (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn): Brice Sensabaugh, SF, Ohio State
29. Indiana (from Boston): Julian Strawther, SF, Gonzaga
30. L.A. Clippers (from Milwaukee via Houston): Kobe Brown, PF, Missouri
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder acquires Kentucky's Cason Wallace in NBA Draft via trade
