September has arrived, and with it the NBA offseason is entering its last stretch. The 2026-27 regular season is getting close, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are still being talked about as one of the league’s top-two title contenders.
Oklahoma City came up short in its bid for back-to-back championships last season, but the core still gives the Thunder a strong place in the title race. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren remain the names that keep OKC positioned to chase another Larry O'Brien trophy in the next few years.
Ajay Mitchell could be one of the players who makes that push even more interesting. The 24-year-old had a real second-year breakout, raising his numbers to 13.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds. He also locked down his role as OKC’s Sixth Man, and with his profile now much higher, he should be in the thick of that award conversation.
The catch has been availability. Mitchell was limited to 57 regular-season games, then his playoff run ended when he missed the final four games of the 2026 Western Conference Finals with a soleus strain. The injury was severe enough that he didn’t get cleared to return until around July, which meant he would have missed the entire 2026 NBA Finals.
Now the Thunder are moving on from Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, and that opens the door wider for Mitchell. There are scoring opportunities to be had, and he looks like a candidate to absorb a chunk of what’s been left behind. He’s been working this offseason to get ready for that bigger load.
Mitchell recently shared a social media highlight video, and the focus was clear: his outside jumper. That makes for an interesting development, especially if he starts leaning more on jump shots as a way to stay healthy.
His drive-first style has made him a legitimate NBA player, but it has also come with missed time. A more reliable pull-up game could be part of the answer.
With Oklahoma City reshuffling its supporting cast, Mitchell is right in the middle of the transition. The next step is now the question. He’s moved from promising developmental piece to someone central to the Thunder’s championship hopes.
In Other News...
Aday Mara Just Gave Thunder Fans A Reason To Look Again
Aday Mara gave Thunder observers something useful to file away during Spains FIBA World Cup Qualifiers game against Greece, where the recently selected big man showed more of the energy and physicality Oklahoma City had been hoping to see. The 12th overall pick was active on the glass and around the rim, offering a cleaner look at what he might bring once the Thunder open training camp.
For a rookie still being evaluated through summer and international play, the encouraging part is not just that Mara was involved, but that he looked more assertive doing it. Spain still came up short, and Oklahoma City is keeping expectations measured, but performances like this are the kind that can make a team pause and revisit how quickly a young player might fit into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face One Chet Holmgren Dilemma They Can't Ignore
The Thunder have built real depth at center, and it comes with a fresh kind of problem for Mark Daigneault. Isaiah Hartenstein is back in the middle, Aday Mara arrived in the first round, and the team still has Thomas Sorber and Chet Holmgren in the mix, giving Oklahoma City a group that can be developed in more than one direction.
Sorber missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, while Mara still needs major conditioning work before he can be trusted with heavy NBA minutes, so the rotation will have to be managed carefully. Daigneault now has to sort out how to divide those reps in a way that keeps the Thunder competitive while also learning which of these bigs fits best for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Lu Dort Is Finally Opening Up About The Thunder Moving On
Lu Dorts next chapter is taking shape in a new uniform, even if the move still carries a little emotional weight for anyone who watched him grow into a fixture in Oklahoma City. After the Thunder sent him to the Hawks, Dort stayed busy on the international stage, putting up 25 points for Canada in a FIBA World Cup qualifier win over Argentina and showing the same edge and energy that made him such a presence in OKC.
Now the focus shifts to Atlanta, where Dort has already sounded energized about the change and the chance to share the floor with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a familiar face from Canadas national team. For Thunder fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the roster keeps evolving, while for Dort it looks like the kind of fresh start that can make a long offseason story feel a little more real. [Read more 🡒]