Mark Daigneault highlights the impact of OKC’s players on development ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault knows it’s easy to forget that he’s still molding a handful of developmental players coming off the championship series. Daigneault highlighted the growth in Jalen Williams in the midst of his first All-Star campaign last season, and as he returns from offseason wrist surgery, Cason Wallace continues to improve.

Daigneault solved the growth he saw in Wallace before the Thunder’s preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets at the Pike Center.

“He’s just getting better. He’s a developing player. He’s young. It’s only his third season. I think sometimes you forget guys are developing players when they’re so impactful,” Daigneault said. “Chet — a high-impact player — continues to get better. Cason — a high-impact player — continues to get better. Even Dub (Jalen Williams), he was only in his third year last season, and as strong as he was, he’s still getting better. Cason has a lot of runway.

“There’s still a lot of things he can improve on. He’s worked really hard over the summer. He’s not interested in staying the same. He’s ambitious about his work, humble as he is. He’s definitely getting better since last season.”

In just his second season with the Thunder, Wallace averaged 8.4 points on 47.4% shooting, including 35.6% from deep, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game in 2024-25. He started 43 of 68 regular-season games, as Cason emerged as an option for Dayno to start in his small-ball lineup when Isaiah Hartenstein was benched.

Marc Daigneault says Thunder improvement ‘necessary’

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault believes that improvement is necessary in 2025-26. Daigneault discussed why that is key before the preseason begins.

“It can come off as arrogant if it’s portrayed the wrong way. We’re winning championships, and if you take that out, it’s like we can still be better,” Daigneault said. “It has a tone that doesn’t feel great, and that’s certainly not where we’re at. Improvement is necessary in our situation because everybody else is getting better. Both rosters, their coaching staff, schemers are getting better, their players are getting better.”

That’s what every NBA team strives to do during the offseason and in training camp before the regular season.

“If you don’t get ahead of it, you’re going to fall behind very quickly,” Daigneault added. “So I want to be clear that improvement is necessary for us. We don’t look at it as a luxury. It’s something we have to do if we want to be good.” Daigneault concluded.

The Thunder will host Opening Night against the Rockets on Tuesday.