OKC Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell Skyrockets in NBA Re-Draft

Oklahoma City has made a living out of value draft picks and a homegrown team. So many of the Thunder’s best players and role players were drafted and developed by the team. Outside of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, most of these guys were under the radar players.

With the 2024 draft in the rear view mirror, people are already looking back on the draft’s order and what should be changed. Oklahoma City, despite being one of the NBA’s best teams, was very active on draft night and didn’t back down from adding a few more prospects to the team.

Looking back at the recent 2024 NBA Draft, two of Oklahoma City’s prospects would likely go higher at this point. The mystery of Nikola Topic is still beyond intriguing, and Ajay Mitchell was one of the NBA’s best rookies before he got hurt. In Bleacher Report’s re-draft, both Topic and Mitchell jumped up the board. Topic went first at No. 9.

“A left ACL injury will sideline Nikola Topić for the entire season, making this a curious selection on its face,” Dan Favale wrote. “Like the Oklahoma City Thunder, though, we are taking the long view.

“There is a distinctly Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderian cadence to the way Topić plays on the ball. He definitely doesn't have the same highest-gear athleticism, but his probing is surgical, can carve out enough defensive separation and translates to shot generation for both himself and others.”

The real jump from the re-draft, though, is Mitchell, who was Oklahoma City’s second round selection. In Bleacher Report’s re-draft, Mitchell went from a second round pick to a lottery pick.

The No. 38 pick in the draft is averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He’s shooting an impressive 50.6% from the floor and 43.1% from 3-point range. He has been ultra efficient and huge piece to the Thunder's squad. His injury has definitely had an impact on the Thunder's season.

When he returns, OKC will be better because of it. In the re-draft, Mitchell went No. 13.

“Cracking the regular rotation of a championship favorite, as a rookie, is bonkers stuff. And this is exactly what Ajay Mitchell did before suffering a toe injury that has sidelined him since the beginning of January.

“The 22-year-old's defensive intensity is absurd. The Oklahoma City Thunder have insulated him against the toughest point-of-attack assignments, but that's more so a function of their depth. Mitchell navigates screens like a whiz, is mostly excellent at contesting shots and will bust up plays as the helper.”