After OKC Thunder Rewarded Ajay Mitchell With Fresh Contract, His Role Could Expand

Over the last few seasons, Oklahoma City has rewarded a handful of young prospects with longterm contracts. The trend has been clear, though. These contracts are a win-win for both parties — longterm job security for the individual, but a team-friendly deal for the franchise.

Originally, it was Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe that committed to stay with the Thunder instead of chasing money elsewhere. A chance to chase championships and grow with one of the best young cores the NBA has seen proved to be too much to pass up. Each player still got rewarded with a big payday and a nice new contract, but it allowed the Thunder to keep flexibility and not break the bank for its role players. 

The latest line in these team-friendly deals hit the press on Sunday afternoon, as Ajay Mitchell inked a new three-year, $9 million deal to stay in Oklahoma City. Mitchell was never going to command a big payday this offseason, but with the promise that he showed during his rookie season, he could've been an offseason or two away from that exact scenario. Instead, he chose stability and development in Oklahoma City on a championship team.

Rookies that are drafted in the second round on contenders usually have no expectations at all, but Mitchell turned himself into a legitimate player for this Thunder team. He quickly exceeded all initial expectations and became one of the most efficient rookies in the NBA. When he went down with an injury in the middle of the season, the Thunder truly felt his absence — and that speaks volumes.

Across 36 games before his injury, Mitchell logged 16.6 minutes per night and made the absolute most of his time on the court. He averaged 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He found a way to fit into the Thunder's elite core in efficient fashion, shooting 49.5% from the floor and 38.3% from 3-point range. After returning from injury, Mitchell even found his way on the court in the NBA Finals, which speaks volumes to the coaching staff's belief in him as a player.

Moving forward, his growing role with the Thunder seems to have some clear direction. Oklahoma City needs ball handlers and offense initiators outside of Shai GIlgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Having a true point guard option like Mitchell to deploy at anytime will make everyone's lives easier. His progression could entail initiating offense within the second unit and giving the Thunder another option when the offense gets stale.

In the postseason, isolation ball became a big theme. Of course, it didn't end up burning the Thunder too badly as the franchise won its first championship. But someone like Mitchell could help prevent that moving forward, and the three-year bond shows that each party is well aware of the future vision. Mitchell is here to stay in Oklahoma City and grow with the core moving forward.