Ajay

Mitchell

Mitchell did not have a great night shooting the basketball, as he was 4-of-13 from inside the 3-point line, but he was once again productive as a playmaker. Only Keyontae Johnson (four assists) had more helpers than the 38th overall pick in last month’s draft, and Mitchell also tallied three steals. Like Adam Flagler, Mitchell is on a two-way contract, and Oklahoma City’s perimeter depth means both will get most of their playing time in the G League.

It has been a fantastic three days stretch for Mitchell. 24 hours after he had a double-double, he dropped a team-high 21 points to lead the Thunder to a win. He is averaging 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game so far this summer, which is excellent production for a second-round pick on a stacked team. It will be difficult for him to earn much of a role in year one, but he has shown that he may be able to eventually earn a spot in the rotation, even if it takes a few seasons.

The initial expectations for Mitchell may not have been as high since he was selected in the second round to a talented team. However, his first two Summer League games are encouraging. The UC Santa Barbara product posted a 14/3/4/3/2 line on Monday, and he followed that up with a double-double in this game. He signed a two-way deal with the Thunder, so he will likely spend a lot of time in the G-League this season. Still, if he continues to play this well, it wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up being a major part of their future.

After shining at UC Santa Barbara for three seasons, Mitchell was selected with the 38th overall pick in last month’s draft. Oklahoma City acquired his draft rights from the Knicks and recently signed the young point guard to a two-way contract. In his summer debut, Mitchell was impactful on both ends of the floor, but he’s in a difficult spot regarding fantasy potential in 2024-25. Of course, OKC has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Cason Wallace should also figure more prominently in the rotation after Josh Giddey was traded to the Bulls.

After three seasons at UC Santa Barbara, Mitchell is ready to make the jump to the pros. In his final year as a Gaucho, Mitchell averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 triples on efficient shooting splits. The lefty is a crafty offensive player that showcased patience as both a scorer and a passer in college. He didn’t test well athletically at the combine, and turnovers were a bit of an issue for him at times, but as an older prospect, he should be able to provide solid point guard play from day one. He’s a 6’5” lead guard, which makes him an intriguing prospect. The Knicks are sending Mitchell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, so he’ll look to establish himself as a backup behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Whether he can compete with Cason Wallace for minutes off the bench remains to be seen.