Ajay Mitchell’s rise has given the Oklahoma City Thunder another problem they didn’t need.
The team already had to move three talented role players to get its spending under control, and Mitchell’s breakout season only tightens the squeeze. Oklahoma City is staring at a future where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s salary climbs from $40.8 million to $60.6 million in the 2027-28 season, Cason Wallace will need a new deal, and the roster is already projected to be over the second apron. That leaves Sam Presti with more hard calls ahead, and Mitchell is now one of them.
Mitchell, 24, just finished a season that changed the conversation around him. He showed he can be more than a useful rotation piece and can handle a bigger load when asked.
In his 16 starts, he averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. As a starter, the 6’4 guard shot 49.4 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from 3-point range, and 87.5 percent at the line.
That kind of production makes his contract look even more out of place. Mitchell is set to make just $2.8 million this season and has a $2.8 million team option for 2027-28. The Thunder do have ways to handle his next contract, but every path comes with a cost, and the money gets harder to fit if Oklahoma City also plans to pay Wallace and keep its Big 3 intact.
For now, the Thunder have to decide how much they want to commit to Mitchell. They could keep him on a bargain for the next two seasons, but that would put him on track to hit unrestricted free agency in 2028. Given the financial pressure already pushing the roster around, that would almost certainly mean losing him.
There are other routes, but none of them are cheap. Oklahoma City could turn down his team option next summer and make him a restricted free agent, or it could try to extend him up to the average salary. Either way, the bill rises in 2027-28.
That’s the reality of having a young guard who keeps proving he can do everything. Mitchell fits the mold Presti usually wants: he can score, dribble, pass, shoot, and defend. He has already become a key piece for Oklahoma City, and he still looks like he’s only scratching the surface.
Mitchell also knows the league is a business. He has to weigh the value of staying put against the chance to maximize his earnings. The Thunder have three max players on the roster, and in the second apron era, they simply can’t pay everybody.
So Mitchell’s future comes back to Presti, who will keep trying to replenish the roster through the draft. The Thunder’s general manager has a reputation as a master roster builder, but even that skill comes with a price: some pieces will have to go.
What the Thunder found in Mitchell was a second-round steal who has already outperformed his deal. What they also found was another player who will eventually want much more than he’s making now.
Mitchell looks capable of becoming a star, and that only makes Oklahoma City’s spending puzzle more difficult. He’s the kind of player who will soon be looking for $20-plus million per year, and the Thunder will have to keep trimming salary elsewhere to make it all work.
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Thunder Still Have One Roster Spot As Undrafted Battle Heats Up
With most of the Oklahoma City roster already taking shape for the 2026-27 season, the front office is down to one open spot and is weighing every move with the salary cap in mind. That makes the undrafted group from Summer League more than just July filler, because performances in Las Vegas can still decide whether a player gets a standard contract, a two-way deal, or a longer look with the Oklahoma City Blue.
Payton Sandfort, Anthony Pritchard and Steven Ashworth each had moments that kept them in the conversation, though their paths do not look the same. The Thunder are still sorting through which skill set fits best with their flexibility plans, and the final decision may come down to whether one of these young players can do enough in the coming weeks to force the issue before that lone roster opening disappears. [Read more 🡒]
Chet Holmgren Opened Up About OKCs Painful Offseason Shakeup
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At a USA Basketball Foundation event, Chet Holmgren addressed the changes publicly and made clear the exits hit hard on a personal level. Even so, his remarks also pointed to a bigger theme around the Thunder right now: a young core that has lived through plenty of turnover, and a belief inside the building that the front office is making these calls with a long view in mind, even when the short-term emotional cost is obvious. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Is Becoming A Real Thunder Offseason Dilemma
The Thunder have spent much of the offseason reshaping the edges of a roster that already sits in a strong spot, adding two draftees, moving three players and opening up salary space while keeping the core intact. In that context, Cason Wallace has become one of the more intriguing names in the room, a young guard who already carries real value around the league after earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors.
For Oklahoma City, the challenge is that Wallace is useful in two different ways at once: he is the kind of player front offices covet in trade talks, but he is also expected to take on a bigger role this season. He is eligible for a contract extension, and the Thunder seem to be using this year to see how far his game can grow before deciding whether to lock him in long term. [Read more 🡒]