Why Ajay Mitchell Being Tabbed As Rising Star Is a Big Deal

The Oklahoma City Thunder have continued an impressive stretch with 2024 second round pick Ajay Mitchell tabbed as a rising star in the 2026 NBA All Star Weekend event.

Jan 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) goest up for shot after stealing the ball from he Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Ajay Mitchell deserves a lot of recognition for what he has done for Oklahoma City. The Thunder currently sit at 37-10, atop the NBA, in large part due to the 2024 second round pick.

A year ago, Mitchell burst onto the scene, shockingly in the Thunder's rotation from the word go, after starting his career on a two-way pact. He was so good so fast he never went a day in the NBA G League despite the nature of his two-way contract a year ago, when healthy, sticking in Mark Daigneault's rotation his entire career to this point.

Mitchell found a way to get back at the end of last season but was only able to play spotty minutes in the NBA postseason as he dealt with the ramp up process from his turf toe injury for this Thunder team that went on to win a title.

Throughout the Bricktown Ballers Finals run, the exact archetype that Mitchell provides. Oklahoma City missed a table setter, a shot creator in that secondary unit and someone capable of hitting timely triples. In year two, the 2024 second rounder is checking all of those boxes.

So much so that Mitchell was selected to the NBA's Rising Stars event for All Star Weekend taking place in Los Angeles at the Clippers new Intuit Dome from Feb. 13-15. The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars game will take place on Feb. 13 as the tournament format plays out on the opening night of the mid-winter classic festivities.

The Rising Stars game will be a tournament made up of three Rising Stars team coached by NBA legends as well as an NBA G League squad doing battle in a tournament. On Tuesday, Mitchell was selected to Team Tracy McGrady to play alongside Kon Knueppell, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, Cam Spencer, Jaylon Tyson and Kel'el Ware.

The other three squads will be led by Vince Carter who has the other Rising Stars roster and Austin Rivers who is bench bossing the NBA G Leauge squad.

Mitchell's selection to the rising stars festivities marks seven consecutive season with Oklahoma City having a representative in this event, the tenth player the Thunder have seen be tabbed as a Rising Star over the last six season tying Oklahoma City for the most in that span.

This year, Mitchell is averaging 14.1 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for the Thunder.