SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 8 : Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder steals the ball from … More
Every year in NBA Summer League, young players around the league show flashes of brilliance and what could be on the horizon during the upcoming season. The summer serves as a forum for players to build confidence and showcase facets of their games that could translate during regular season and playoff action in the future.
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the player who could seemingly be taking that next big leap next season is Ajay Mitchell, who has been phenomenal through his first three NBA Summer League games. Over the last week, Oklahoma City competed in Salt Lake City before traveling to Las Vegas for the larger NBA Summer League, and Mitchell was the team’s best player.
The incoming second-year guard’s impact on the game has gone well beyond the box score numbers, which have been impressive in their own right. Mitchell averaged 19.7 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per contest during the three games in Salt Lake City.
Bigger picture, Mitchell was the ultimate floor general. He controlled the pace of the game when he was on the court, dictating the action and orchestrating the offense as the primary handler. While NBA Summer League is nothing like true NBA action, it was evident that the game is starting to slow down for Mitchell, who was able to slice and dice opposing defenses and always play one or two steps ahead. His footwork was extremely impressive, which allowed him to knife through coverages and get to his spots to score. The lefty was very clearly one of the best players on the floor in every game this past week.
Interestingly enough, the Thunder’s season ended just over three weeks ago, so unlike other players around the league, Mitchell hasn’t had an extended period of time to work on his game. That’s what makes his performance in Utah especially impressive, as this is truly just a forum in which he’s been able to showcase the upside he already possesses. Soon enough, he will get an extended break from game action and have time to work on new moves and develop in training camp.
Before a toe injury sidelined Mitchell during his rookie season during the 2024-25 campaign, he had carved out a legitimate role in the rotation. From there, he wasn’t able to make a return until the playoffs, but that’s an elevated stage, and players as inexperienced as Mitchell don’t generally get as many opportunities. But there’s a sense that, as early as this upcoming season, that could all change. The Thunder will call on Mitchell to run the second unit at times during the regular season and potentially be a spark off the bench as a playmaker in the postseason.
Based on what he’s shown early in NBA Summer League, Mitchell will be ready to answer the call. He just signed a new contract with Oklahoma City and looks like a second-round steal for the Thunder from the 2024 NBA Draft.
As good as Mitchell has been to start the summer, his starting backcourt mate Nikola Topic also deserves recognition. His ability to process the game and be a catalyst for the Thunder’s offense has been impressive, even if he’s struggled with turnovers and converting on some of his shots. As OKC pivots to Las Vegas and Mitchell is potentially shut down for the summer soon, Topic will need to shoulder even more responsibility, which will be good experience.
