Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Successful Las Vegas Summer League Opener

The Oklahoma City Thunder went 1-2 in the 2025 Salt Lake City Summer League but won its first Las Vegas contest against the Brooklyn Nets, 90-81, on Thursday evening.

Brooks Barnhizer nabbed seven steals and four Oklahoma City players notched two, as the Thunder scored 24 points off 21 Nets turnovers. It also dominated in paint points (48-32) and made 10 more 2-pointers overall.

The Thunder won the first (22-15) and third (23-21) quarters and tied the other two. There were four lead changes and four ties between Oklahoma City and Brooklyn. Four Nets first-rounders — No. 8 pick Egor Demin, No. 19 pick Nolan Traore, No. 26 pick Ben Saraf and No. 27 pick Danny Wolf — experienced their first professional action.

Let's dive into three takeaways from the Thunder's Las Vegas opener.

Ajay Mitchell keeps offense running

Ajay Mitchell, who officially signed a three-year extension on July 6, has been Oklahoma City's scoring leader in all four Summer League games. He recorded 20 points on 6-for-13 shooting (2-for-5 3-pointers) and 6-for-7 free throws against Brooklyn, making three restricted-area shots and a two-dribble mid-range jumper off a closeout.

Last season, Mitchell (16.2%) was sandwiched between Isaiah Hartenstein (16.7%) and Ousmane Dieng (15.7%) on the Thunder's usage rate hierarchy. His role will not fluctuate much from his rookie campaign, but fine-tuning on-ball reps will help him alleviate those responsibilities from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and/or Nikola Topic in their shared minutes.

Mitchell added five rebounds (one offensive), two assists, two steals a block and a +15 plus-minus, though he also committed six turnovers — three lost balls, two bad passes and an offensive foul. He and Topic have experienced ball-security struggles against proactive, handsy Summer League defenses at various points.

Chris Youngblood boosts starting lineup

Chris Youngblood came off the bench in all three Salt Lake City games, with head coach Daniel Dixon opting to start big man Mady Sissoko for rebounding and physicality. However, Connor Johnson, who will coach all remaining Las Vegas contests, brought Youngblood into the starting group to combat the high-tempo Nets. The college veteran rewarded his faith with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, making three of five triples.

Youngblood shot 39.3% on 837 college 3-point attempts and 38.8% on 11.3 attempts per 100 possessions at Alabama last season, his fifth college campaign. His movement shooting complemented the playmaking Thunder effectively on Thursday and could be useful down the road — as Oklahoma City still has one two-way spot left.

Youngblood also finished with five rebounds (three offensive), two steals, no turnovers and a game-high +23 plus-minus in 26 minutes. He is averaging 11.3 points on 43.5% 3-point shooting, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists in Summer League action.

Nikola Topic steps up as closer

The 19-year-old Topic showcased why Oklahoma City selected him at No. 12 in 2024 and waited over a year to see him play, executing countless correct passes against the Nets defense. He found Mitchell on a full-court touchdown dunk, slipped a wing dime for a cutting Leons slam and made a pinpoint left-handed skip pass which wound up as a hockey assist.

Topic struggled to finish at the rim and make outside shots for most of the game but made two open catch-and-shoot threes and a turnaround floater in the final five minutes — after Brooklyn had cut its deficit to five points. He ended up with 18 points on 7-for-18 shooting (2-for-6 3-pointers), six assists, four rebounds (two offensive), a steal and a +17 plus-minus.

Oklahoma City plays an NBA Finals rematch with much lower stakes against the Indiana Pacers tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. CST.