Ajay Mitchell's Projected Leap Will Make It Harder For The Thunder To Keep Him Around

If the young guard truly develops into what he could be, he'll be a hard piece to keep on to with OKC's limited resources.

Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) against the Phoenix Suns during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What will it take for the Thunder to keep Ajay Mitchell around if he continues to grow?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are known for drafting well and finding players who are a perfect fit for the team. One of these instances is when OKC took a chance on a player from Santa Barbara in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. 

The team was already heavily loaded with guards and had even taken a guard in the first round in Nikola Topic. However, Sam Presti and crew were right again, as that second-round pick in Ajay Mitchell is already being talked about as a future star in the league. 

Mitchell started his big breakout last season, as he was the second-leading scorer for OKC in the postseason, averaging 15.1 points per game. Now, with more opportunities in front of him, it’s only a matter of time before Mitchell becomes a full-fledged star, and only a matter of time before OKC must do more to keep him. 

Mitchell’s current contract might be the best in basketball, as OKC is getting the guard to play for them for just $2.85 million this upcoming season. Mitchell then has a team option for the same amount of money in 2027-28, before his contract is finally up. If this big progression does happen, let’s just say the Thunder won’t get so lucky with Mitchell’s future contract. 

However, it would be surprising if money was the only thing that Mitchell needed more of as time goes on. With Lu Dort departing, it is assumed that Cason Wallace will fill that spot based on his defensive reputation and the ability to let the second team run through Ajay Mitchell. While he might still get a lot of touches, second-team superstar won’t be what fills Mitchell’s future when other teams could offer him the starting point guard job. 

Oklahoma City will have to continue to carve out a role for Mitchell that possibly includes a starting spot down the road if they are serious about keeping the upcoming star. The squad does already have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in the backcourt, but down the line, replacing Wallace with Mitchell could be beneficial not only for keeping Mitchell but the team as a whole. 

The Thunder are hoping that the young guard does have another leap and truly does turn into a superstar guard. However, if he does so, Oklahoma City must be able to sacrifice both time and money to keep him in the OKC uniform.