OKC THUNDER
Clemente AlmanzaOKC Thunder Wire
Sept. 1, 2026, 2:01 p.m. CT
The calendar has flipped to September. Which means the NBA offseason is in its final weeks. The 2026-27 regular season is right around the corner. Forecasting how things could play out, the Oklahoma City Thunder are universally viewed as a top-two title contender
The Thunder fell short in their back-to-back ambitions this past year. That said, they’re set up well to bring home a second Larry O’Brien trophy in three years. Even with several role player departures, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will keep OKC in the title picture for the foreseeable future
Someone who could take an even larger leap is Ajay Mitchell. The 24-year-old had a second-year breakout last season. He upped his averages to 13.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds. He cemented his spot as OKC’s Sixth Man. Considering he’s now a household name, he should be at the forefront of that award race
Alas, injuries plagued Mitchell. He only played in 57 regular-season games. And then his NBA playoff journey was cut short as he missed the final four games of the 2026 Western Conference Finals with a soleus strain. The injury was so brutal that it took him until around July to finally get cleared to return. Meaning he would’ve missed the entire 2026 NBA Finals
With the Thunder moving on from Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, Mitchell is primed to get even more opportunities. Expect him to soak up plenty of the vacant scoring possessions that the offseason departures have left behind. To get ready for that upscale in role, he’s spent the offseason getting ready
Mitchell recently posted a social media highlight video. Mostly working on his outside jumper, it will be interesting to see if he takes more jumpers as a way to stay healthy. The drive-heavy scorer has a blue-collar-esque style of play to help him be a legitimate NBA player. The cost, though, has been missed time. Maybe relying more on his pull-up jumper is a way to fix that
The Thunder are going through a change among the complementary pieces. Mitchell is part of that. We’re about to find out just how much more he can add to his plate. He’s gone from a nice developmental story to a critical part of OKC’s championship aspirations
