Ajay Mitchell was not supposed to become this important this quickly.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Belgium entered the NBA as the 38th overall pick in the 2024 draft, originally selected by the New York Knicks before being immediately traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 40th pick and cash considerations. At the time, it looked like another small draft-night maneuver by a franchise that has made a habit of finding value in places others overlook.
Two years later, that move is looking like another Sam Presti masterstroke.
Mitchell’s path to this point was actually not a straightforward one. He played only 36 games as a rookie because of a turf toe sprain, though Oklahoma City clearly saw enough to convert his two-way contract into a standard deal during that first season. After his rookie year, the Thunder signed him to a three-year, $9 million extension that now looks like one of the best bargains in the league.
His sophomore leap already made that clear. Mitchell averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25.8 minutes across 57 appearances, a major jump from his rookie numbers of 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.7 steals in 16.6 minutes per game. However, what he has done this postseason has been even more impressive.
Mitchell entered the starting lineup in Game 3 of Oklahoma City’s first-round sweep against the Phoenix Suns after Jalen Williams went down with an injury, and he has not looked back since. In five starts, he has looked increasingly confident in a larger role, averaging 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.6 steals in 30.8 minutes.
His Game 3 performance against the Los Angeles Lakers was his best postseason performance yet. Mitchell led all scorers with 24 points, four rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and zero turnovers, helping Oklahoma City win, 131-108, and take a commanding 3–0 series lead. The Lakers struggled to stay in front of him, as his crafty drives repeatedly bent their defense.
Ironically, his style of play invokes comparisons to the current star of the team that drafted him, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks. They are strikingly similar in the way that they can quickly change their pace, their unusual strength for their size, and ability to use angles to carve out space.
Mitchell’s rise is the kind of development that separates great teams from potential dynasties.
The Thunder already have the star at the top in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and two other NBA All-Stars in Williams and Chet Holmgren. What makes them especially frightening now is how many other players continue to emerge around them. Mitchell is the latest example of Presti’s ability to identify talent, develop it, and place it in a winning environment before the rest of the league fully catches on.
Nonetheless, Oklahoma City does not need Mitchell to become a full blown star overnight. But if this postseason is any indication, he is well on the path towards it. The future is bright for him and for the Thunder, and somehow, this already-loaded team may have found another long-term piece hiding in plain sight.
