Ajay Mitchell Will Have To Balance His Scoring And Playmaking Next Season

The rising OKC star will be needed to not only score, but to distribute.

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 | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s next rising star will have to balance his responsibilities. 

The Thunder are going to head into next season with a fairly different roster than when they started this past season. OKC has swapped the old for the new as they traded away role players like Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins and added three new rookies in this year’s draft. 

With the addition of new faces, other Thunder players will now have to take on a bigger role and help lead next year’s squad. One player in particular is Ajay Mitchell. Mitchell was one of the Thunder’s breakout players last season, as he had an incredible jump in his sophomore season. Now, as he is entering his third year, he will have to help lead the team in more ways than one. 

One of Mitchell’s greatest strengths is his ability as a scorer, and he showcased that last season, averaging the second most points per game in the postseason for OKC. This will have to be present all throughout next year’s regular season, but now Mitchell will also have to balance playmaking duties with that. 

The young star is set to lead OKC’s second group next season, which will have less experience with the departures of Joe and Wiggins. So while Mitchell will be needed to help with scoring, he will also be responsible for helping the second group find their own shots. 

Mitchell showed he was moving in the right direction last season, as he went from 3.6 assists in the regular season to 4.1 in the postseason. Now, with it being likely that Mitchell will be handling the ball more, it will be imperative that he continues this to get guys like Jared McCain, Jaylin Williams and Aday Mara good looks. 

Of course, OKC will still need Mitchell to score. He will be the key contributor when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off the floor, and can even find his shot playing next to the star. With teams so keyed in on the two-time MVP, Mitchell will have more opportunities for open shots and must capitalize on these chances. 

The Thunder will be expecting a lot out of Mitchell next year, as he has the capability to be the next star in Oklahoma City. The next steps to that will be taken next year, and if Mitchell is able to round out his game in playmaking and scoring, then the Thunder will have an even better chance to get back to the top of the league next year.