Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Sticks in rotation Monday
Rotowire
Mitchell finished with four points (2-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt), one rebound and one assist over 12 minutes during Monday's 102-86 win over the Magic.
Mitchell has seen the court in all seven games thus far this season, albeit in a limited role. He is averaging 4.0 points in 13.7 minutes per game, with the majority of his playing time coming in the final quarter of games. While it does appear as though he is going to be an every-night part of the rotation, it is unlikely he touches the floor when it matters.
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Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Returns to practice
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Mitchell was a full participant in Saturday's practice, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Mitchell missed the Thunder's previous preseason contest due to an ankle injury but appears to have fully recovered. The rookie guard should be available for Tuesday's preseason matchup with Denver.
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Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Racks up team-high 19 points Monday
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Mitchell notched 19 points (8-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal across 24 minutes during Monday's 112-107 preseason win over the Spurs.
Mitchell exploded for a team-high 19 points while coming off the bench. The No. 38 overall pick of the 2024 Draft was a scoring machine in his final season with UC Santa Barbara, during which he averaged 20.0 points while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. Mitchell will likely struggle to find significant playing time among a stacked Thunder backcourt, but he is expected to spend some time in the G League to further develop under a two-way pact.
Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Sitting out remainder of SL
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Mitchell won't play in another Summer League game in order to allow more opportunities for other players, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
The Thunder must have liked what they saw out of Mitchell, as they feel good enough about the No. 38 pick in the 2024 NBA draft to shut him down after five Summer League games. The UC Santa Barbara product was signed to a two-way deal and should split time between the NBA and the G League as a rookie.
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Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Paces scoring attack
Rotowire
Mitchell totaled 21 points (8-14 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 25 minutes during Monday's 102-73 Summer League loss to the Heat.
Mitchell was one of the lone bright spots in a blowout loss, leading the team in scoring by knocking down 57.1 percent of his tries from the field. It was nice to see the 22-year-old bounce back following a 6-for-18 shooting performance from the field Saturday against Toronto.
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Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Posts polished final line
Rotowire
Mitchell finished with 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt), three rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in 28 minutes during Monday's 102-92 loss against the 76ers in the Salt Lake City Summer League.
Mitchell turned in a strong showing in his first game action since being drafted with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, finishing second on the team in scoring while also stuffing the stat sheet with a team-high three steals and two blocks. The rookie guard should continue to see a healthy helping of opportunities as Summer League play continues.
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Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Signs two-way contract with OKC
Rotowire
The Thunder signed Mitchell to a two-way contract Saturday.
The No. 38 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Mitchell will occupy one of the Thunder's three two-way spots during his first professional season. The 22-year-old guard was a standout performer In his final collegiate season with UC Santa Barbara in 2023-24, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from downtown. Since he's unlikely to factor into the Thunder's rotation plans as a rookie, Mitchell will likely wind up seeing the majority of his playing time in 2024-25 with the G League's Oklahoma City Blue.
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Thunder's Ajay Mitchell: Selected by OKC at No. 38
Rotowire
Mitchell, via a trade with the Knicks, was selected by the Thunder with the No. 38 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Mitchell is a combo guard coming off his junior year at UC Santa Barbara, and he was named to the All-Big West First Team in each of the past two seasons. He led the Big West in points per game (20.0) last season. His mediocre athleticism and shaky shooting until last year likely led to his draft stock being where it is, despite plenty of playmaking and scoring ability. Mitchell will fight for reserve guard minutes on the Thunder as a rookie, which won't be easy to come by.
