Cason Wallace was listed day-to-day Thursday night with an undisclosed issue and will not start Oklahoma City's preseason finale against Houston. The Thunder close out the preseason without their starting guard on the floor to open the game.
What happened
Wallace was added to the injury report Thursday at 8:21 p.m. ET, listed day-to-day with an undisclosed issue classified as other. No previous status was attached to the listing. Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reported that Wallace will not start Thursday's preseason finale against the Rockets, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV. The team has not announced further detail on the injury beyond the day-to-day designation.
What it means for the Thunder
Oklahoma City is 0-0 since the 2026-27 regular season has not started, and Thursday's game at Houston is the preseason finale. Last season, Wallace averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.6 minutes across 77 games. Without him on the floor, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.2 minutes, 31.1 points), Jalen Williams (28.4 minutes, 17.1 points) and Isaiah Joe (21.2 minutes, 11.1 points) have carried extra load in recent box scores, with Luguentz Dort and Ajay Mitchell also seeing extended minutes. There are no regular-season games yet to set a record with or without him.
What to watch
Wallace's expected return is listed as Oct. 20, three days before the Thunder's regular-season opener. He has cycled on and off the day-to-day list over the past two weeks, clearing on Oct. 7 and Oct. 13 before Thursday's new listing. The next injury report will show whether he practices and travels with the team as Oklahoma City wraps up the preseason and heads into the 2026-27 season.
Is Cason Wallace playing vs the Rockets tonight?
No. Wallace is listed day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and will not start Oklahoma City's preseason finale against Houston on Thursday.
When will Cason Wallace be back?
His expected return is listed as Oct. 20, 2026. No further timeline has been announced.