Cason Wallace was named to the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive Second Team on Friday, giving the Oklahoma City Thunder another major defensive honor as the league recognized its best stoppers. Wallace joined Bam Adebayo, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Dyson Daniels on the Second Team.
The Thunder were the only team to have multiple players earn All-Defensive recognition. Chet Holmgren made the First Team, putting Oklahoma City on both lists and underscoring how much the team’s defense drove a 64-18 regular season.
Wallace’s selection comes with a clear backdrop. Oklahoma City finished with the league’s best record, and its defense stayed central to everything the team did. Holmgren finished No. 2 in Defensive Player of the Year voting after averaging 1.9 blocks and 0.6 steals per game, while Oklahoma City’s defensive rating fell from 102.3 with him on the floor to 107.9 with him off it.
The First Team also included Victor Wembanyama, Derrick White, Ausar Thompson and Rudy Gobert. Wembanyama, who became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history on April 20, led the league with 3.1 blocks per game and held opponents to 40.7 percent shooting on 500 shots defended during the regular season.
The timing gives the announcement extra weight because Wembanyama and Holmgren were set to face each other in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday night. For Oklahoma City, the honors are more than individual awards. They are another sign that the Thunder’s defense has become the franchise’s calling card, with Wallace and Holmgren now both on the league’s annual list of elite defenders.
