Ajay Mitchell's second-year leap is carrying into year three for the Thunder
Ajay Mitchell is healthy and off the injury report after two Day-To-Day stints in the preseason. The 24-year-old guard is coming off a 13.6-point season in 57 games and opened 2026-27 with a 4-point, 6-assist night in a win over San Antonio.
By the Thunder Nightly Desk · updated 10 h ago01The story of the nightWhere Mitchell stands right nowMitchell enters his third season with the Thunder as a 6-4, 190-pound guard wearing No.
Mitchell enters his third season with the Thunder as a 6-4, 190-pound guard wearing No. 25. He is 24, out of California-Santa Barbara, and listed with 2 seasons of experience. He is not on the injury report. That matters, because the preseason was not smooth. He was Day-To-Day with a right calf issue on September 6, cleared on October 1, then sat Day-To-Day for rest on October 10 before being cleared again on October 16. He has played through the first stretch of the regular season since, and the most recent game, a win over the Spurs on October 20, had him on the floor for 22.7 minutes. There is no rumor chatter around him. For now, the story is simple: he is available and he is in the rotation.
02Last season's numbersLast season Mitchell played 57 games for OKC at 25.8 minutes a night.
Last season Mitchell played 57 games for OKC at 25.8 minutes a night. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists, with 1.2 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.4 turnovers. The shooting line was efficient: 48.5 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three and 87.0 percent from the line, good for a 58.5 true shooting percentage. His usage was 21.0 percent, so he was not a primary option, but he produced when he had the ball. The number that stands out most is his plus-minus of 8.8, which says the Thunder were comfortably better with him on the floor. Those are last season's figures and they set the baseline for what OKC expects out of him in 2026-27.
03The playoff run against the LakersMitchell's best basketball last season came in the postseason series against the Lakers in May.
Mitchell's best basketball last season came in the postseason series against the Lakers in May. On May 7 he scored 20 points with 3 rebounds and 6 assists in 30.2 minutes, and the Thunder won. Two nights later, on May 9, he went for 24 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists in 29.8 minutes in another win. On May 11 he put up 28 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 33.0 minutes, and OKC won again. His plus-minus in those three games was 18.0, 14.0 and 17.0. That is a three-game stretch where a bench guard played like a starter and the team won every time. Against San Antonio later that month his scoring dipped, with 4, 10 and 2 points across three games, but he still handed out 5 assists in the May 18 game.
04How the new season has openedThrough the early games of 2026-27, Mitchell's role looks like a playmaking guard first and a scorer second.
Through the early games of 2026-27, Mitchell's role looks like a playmaking guard first and a scorer second. On October 6 against New Orleans he scored 11 points with 4 assists in 17.6 minutes, and his plus-minus was 13.0 in a loss. The next night against Milwaukee he had 3 points and 5 assists in 17.5 minutes. On October 15 against Houston he scored 7 points in 24.1 minutes in a loss. Then came the October 20 win over the Spurs: 4 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in 22.7 minutes with a plus-minus of 12.0. The scoring is down from his playoff peak, but the assists have been steady and the team has played well in his minutes in three of the four games.
05What to watchThe calf is the first thing.
The calf is the first thing. The right calf issue came in early September and he was cleared, but it is the kind of injury that can resurface, and the Thunder gave him a rest day on October 10 before clearing him again. His minutes have ranged from 17.5 to 24.1 in the regular-season games so far, below the 25.8 he averaged last season. Whether that number climbs back up is the next question. The second thing is the three-point shot. He hit 34.7 percent last season, and his 87.0 free throw percentage suggests there is room for that number to rise. If the shot comes around while the assists stay in the 5-to-6 range he has shown this October, he becomes a more complete piece for OKC.
Mitchell13.6 ppg
