Ajay Mitchell is about to inherit a familiar kind of Thunder job - one James Harden once handled with real ease.
The names around him are different, but the assignment looks awfully familiar. Mitchell is coming off a breakout season and is positioned for Sixth Man of the Year consideration in 2026-27, with Oklahoma City leaning on him to serve as the link between its star starters. That was Harden’s lane in his Thunder days, when he acted as the steadying force behind a team that reached the 2012 NBA Finals.
Back then, Harden was working alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Durant was the headliner scorer, Westbrook was the explosive creator, and Ibaka brought elite defense with a midrange touch. But each came with a question mark: Durant drew every defense’s best shot, Westbrook’s jumper could swing wildly, and Ibaka never fully asserted himself as an offensive engine.
Oklahoma City’s current trio carries its own version of those same issues. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the scorer every defense keys on.
Jalen Williams is a scorer and playmaker whose jumper remains uncertain. Chet Holmgren is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who can stretch the floor, but still doesn’t always demand enough touches.
That is where Mitchell enters the picture. He has to be the shot creator and playmaker who can smooth things over when the stars aren’t firing on all cylinders, and who can take over in the right moments when the offense needs a jolt.
Williams’ shooting is a big part of that equation. He’s a career 37.4 percent shooter from deep, but he hit just 29.9 percent of his threes in 2025-26.
Injuries were a major factor, including the wrist issue that also showed up during the 2025 playoffs, when he shot 30.4 percent from beyond the arc. There’s still room for optimism, but the Thunder can’t ignore the possibility that his injury history has affected his jumper enough to require help around him.
Holmgren brings another layer of uncertainty. He averaged 17.1 points per game and 21.3 per 36 minutes in 2025-26 while shooting .557/.362/.792, but the volume hasn’t matched the tools.
Across his three NBA seasons, he has attempted between 14.0 and 14.2 field goals per 36 minutes, then dropped to 11.5 in the 2026 Playoffs. The talent is obvious.
The Thunder still need to account for the fact that his scoring aggression has come and gone.
Mitchell gives them that margin for error. In 2025-26, he put up 18.9 points and 5.0 assists per 36 minutes and showed he can take control in key stretches. He also ranked in the 92nd percentile in rim shot creation, the 95th percentile in one on one shot making, and the 99th percentile in passing creation quality, per Basketball Index.
That profile says a lot. Mitchell can create his own offense, and he can create efficient offense for others. Oklahoma City will need both of those traits while it sorts through the lingering questions around Williams and Holmgren.
It’s the kind of responsibility Harden once embraced on the way to Sixth Man of the Year honors and an NBA Finals run. In 2026-27, Mitchell will be asked to do something similar.
In Other News...
Thunder May Be Fixing Shai's Biggest Long-Term Concern
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has spent much of his rise as the center of Oklahoma Citys offense, but the longer-term question around his game has been less about talent than wear and tear. Heavy usage and a steady diet of isolation possessions can be a burden over time, especially for a player expected to carry a contender year after year, and the Thunder have every reason to think carefully about how they manage that load.
One encouraging sign is that the offense does not have to stay frozen around one creator. Oklahoma City can lean more on Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein to shoulder some of the self-creation and distribution, which would ease the pressure on Gilgeous-Alexander and make the attack harder to predict. If the Thunder can keep widening that support system, they may be addressing one of the biggest concerns that has hovered over their stars future. [Read more 🡒]
Ajay Mitchell Looks Ready To Break Out If One Problem Stops
Ajay Mitchells second NBA season gave the Thunder another intriguing young guard to watch, and he looked more and more comfortable as the year went on. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, production that helped push him into fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting and put him squarely on the radar as a possible breakout candidate for next season.
The issue, as it often has been for Mitchell, is simply getting enough uninterrupted run to build on it. Injuries have kept trimming his momentum, and the list has included turf toe, a hip contusion and a calf strain that each slowed him at different points. For a player whose ceiling is starting to look real, the Thunders next step with Mitchell may be less about skill development than about finally letting his health hold. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face Real Cason Wallace Pressure As Extension Deadline Nears
Cason Wallace has put himself in a strong position with the Thunder after a breakout third season and a meaningful playoff role, which is exactly why his next contract has become such a delicate item on Oklahoma Citys docket. The sides are in extension talks ahead of the deadline for players from the 2023 draft class, and the front office is trying to fit Wallace into a payroll picture that already includes several major commitments.
The challenge is finding a number that reflects how far Wallace has come without forcing the Thunder to distort their long-term team-building plans. No agreement is in place yet, and if the two sides do not land one before the deadline, Wallace would be on track to keep moving toward restricted free agency in 2027, leaving this as one of the more consequential decisions hanging over the franchises next few days. [Read more 🡒]