Ajay Mitchell Could Take Next Leap for OKC Thunder at Foul Line

The young guard has proven himself to be a crafty offensive talent, and getting to the stripe more could be the next evolution of his game.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) as he drives to the basket during game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City has one of the deepest teams in the league, and its top reserve could take another leap by getting to the line more.

Last season was another impressive campaign for the Thunder, finishing one game shy of the NBA Finals while winning a league-leading 64 games in the regular season. One of the key reasons the Thunder were unable to get back to the NBA Finals was their injury issues, which included the absence of Ajay Mitchell for most of the Western Conference Finals.

Proving himself to be one of the best young talents in the league throughout Oklahoma City’s postseason run, Mitchell’s absence was crushing for the Thunder, especially considering Jalen Williams was also out of the picture. So, it’s no surprise that Mitchell is again expected to be a major piece of Oklahoma City’s title hopes next season.

After spending large chunks of his first two seasons injured and still producing at such a high level in the postseason, Mitchell has shown that he is a core piece for Oklahoma City. That also means there is some excitement about what kind of improvements he might show in his third year.

While there are several areas of his game he can improve to help him become a more well-rounded player, Mitchell also has one area he could soon become elite in. Already showing his skills when it comes to drawing fouls, Mitchell could easily take another leap if he can get to the free-throw line even more.

Shooting 87% from the line last season, Mitchell could be an even deadlier offensive option for the Thunder if he can improve on his 2.8 free-throw attempts per game. With a free-throw attempt rate of 27.5%, Mitchell is fifth on the Thunder, trailing each regular starter outside of Lu Dort.

Considering Mitchell has one of the best in the league at drawing fouls in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to watch and learn from, he could soon be able to increase his volume at the stripe. One of only four Thunder players to take at least 70% of his shots from inside the arc last season, the opportunities are there for Mitchell to get to the stripe more, but he simply needs to become more skilled at drawing contact and getting defenders out of position.

Consistently able to get to the paint with ease, Mitchell has all the talent needed to become elite at drawing fouls, but turning those paint touches into free throws will be the next step of his development.