Ajay Mitchell Can Be One of the NBA’s Best Backup Point Guards

After making himself a valuable player as a second-round rookie on an NBA Finals team, Ajay Mitchell’s opportunity is golden. The team liked his potential and performance so much that they immediately inked him to a long-term, three-year deal, and Mitchell now has a chance to, in turn, lock in his spot in the rotation.

Mitchell’s deal isn’t necessarily one that’ll catch your eye, but it’s longterm security for him and a chance to skyrocket his value. The Thunder made him a priority this offseason and he ascended the ranks faster than most second round rookies do in general. 

On a team like Oklahoma City, there’s just not many holes across the roster. One area where there’s Thunder could use help, though, is someone who can handle the rock and initiate offense — taking the pressure off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and enhancing Jalen Williams’s offensive game is key to unlocking this team’s potential. There are a few candidates who can do this, including Nikola Topic who is such a fun player, but Mitchell is the clear, obvious answer next season.

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti was obviously a big fan of Mitchell’s, but he went a step farther, shouting him out in his post-season press conference. He recognized Mitchell's role was pivotal before he was injured, too.

“Ajay Mitchell going from the 38th pick in the draft to playing, to working so hard to come back for two or three regular-season games so that in those last two games,” Presti said. “We were resting a couple guys, but if Ajay Mitchell is not available, we wouldn't be able to have those guys resting.”

Mitchell has been dominant in Summer League, and often looks too good to even be on the court. He controls the game as the lead-man in the summer sessions, and the experience is building him up for one thing: to back up Gilgeous-Alexander and initiate offense off the bench.

His veteran play style and consistent performances make him a prime candidate for heavy minutes on a Mark Daigneault led team. All that's left for Mitchell to do is answer the call and run with his opportunity. The three-year deal will allow him a huge payday soon if he can take advantage of it.