Ajay Mitchell may enter 2026-27 as the favorite to lead Oklahoma City’s second unit, but the Thunder might already have another real Sixth Man of the Year problem on their hands.
Mitchell’s case is easy to see. After finishing fifth in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting last season, he put up 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.5 percent from the field for the top-seeded Thunder. With Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins gone, the 24-year-old is in line for a larger slice of Mark Daigneault’s rotation, and that extra responsibility could be exactly what pushes him into award territory in year three.
But Mitchell’s path may not be as clear as it looks. Jared McCain is right there, and he has a legitimate chance to become one of Mitchell’s toughest challengers for the title off the bench.
The Thunder’s offseason departures should open up room for both players. Joe averaged 21.2 minutes and Wiggins 21.8, and those minutes are there for the taking. McCain, who averaged 18.0 minutes, should see that number climb north of 20 in his second season with the club.
That matters because McCain has already shown what he can do when he’s handling that kind of workload as a reserve. The last time he was in that role for an extended stretch was his rookie season with the 76ers, before a torn lateral meniscus and a torn UCL in his thumb shut him down. Even then, he was producing 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.0 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from three.
His sophomore season was a different kind of grind. He spent the first half working off the rust after surgery, then had to adjust on the fly after arriving in Oklahoma City at the trade deadline.
Even with that transition, McCain finished as a steady part of the rotation, averaged 10.4 points and shot 39.1 percent from deep. He also gave the Thunder a real lift in the playoffs, including two 20-plus-point games in the conference finals.
McCain said in a recent YouTube video chronicling his summer that this is his first fully healthy offseason since his Duke days before entering the league as the No. 15 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He’s been using it well, too. Recent clips have shown him getting work in with Cason Wallace, the projected starting shooting guard, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Mitchell was not in those runs, since he is still recovering from the calf strain that knocked him out for a significant part of Oklahoma City’s postseason. That, paired with McCain’s clear push to keep raising his level, could give the Santa Barbara product a slight edge as camp approaches and the 6MOY race starts to take shape.
In Other News...
SGAs Father Defends The Thunder Star Fans Love To Debate
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For Oklahoma City, it is also part of the formula that helped fuel a breakthrough season. Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP after averaging 31.1 points per game and taking 9.0 free throws per game while shooting 87.9 percent from the stripe, a profile that has driven plenty of conversation around how he scores and why it works. The debate never really goes away, but the Thunder keep benefiting from a player who keeps forcing defenses to pay for every step toward the rim. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder May Have A Frontcourt Piece Fans Are Overlooking
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What makes the situation worth watching is the blend of readiness and uncertainty around his role. Sorbers recovery is moving in the right direction for training camp, and his appeal goes beyond just being another body in the paint, with defensive versatility and possible offensive upside both part of his profile. Oklahoma City has plenty of options in the frontcourt, which means the competition for minutes will be real, but it also means Sorber could be one of the more intriguing pieces in the mix if he shows he is ready to hold his own. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Williams Just Reminded Thunder Fans What OKC Is Missing
Jalen Williams spent much of last season on the sideline, a frustrating follow-up to the breakout year that helped push the Oklahoma City Thunder to a championship. Injuries never really let him settle in, with two wrist surgeries and multiple hamstring strains limiting him to 33 regular-season games and just two full playoff games, a reminder of how much his presence matters when he is actually on the floor.
Even with the lost time, the expectation inside OKC remains the same: Williams is a cornerstone piece, and the Thunder are counting on him to get back to the form that brought All-NBA, All-Star and All-Defense recognition. If he does, it changes the ceiling for a team that already knows what a healthy, high-level Williams can mean in a championship chase, especially with 2026-27 circled as the next big window. [Read more 🡒]