Ajay Mitchell’s talent has never really been in question. The Thunder point guard showed it right away on opening night against the Rockets, then kept flashing it in stretches of the postseason, making himself look like one of the better bargains on the roster.
The problem is the part that keeps following him around: the injuries.
Mitchell said in a recent interview with ESPN that he is still working back from the right calf strain he suffered in the Conference Finals.
"We've been on top of it as soon as we heard the news [about the strain] and have been working on it ever since, and we're close to being back to 100 [percent]," Mitchell said.
That leaves Oklahoma City in a familiar spot, and not a comfortable one. It’s mid-July, nearly two months after the original strain, and Mitchell still isn’t fully back to 100 percent.
That matters because this has become a pattern. Over the last two years, Mitchell has appeared in only 57.4 percent of the Thunder’s games. He has been productive when he’s on the floor, but availability is a different issue entirely.
For coach Mark Daigneault, that kind of stop-and-start reality has to be frustrating. The Thunder have seen what Mitchell can do. The question is how often they can actually count on him.
Financially, he remains a steal at $2.8 million. But that bargain won’t last forever. In two seasons, Mitchell will be eligible for a new deal, and if he keeps trending upward the way he did in 2025-26, that next contract is going to be expensive.
That’s where the Thunder’s long-term thinking gets tricky. General manager Sam Presti will have to weigh elite production against the possibility that Mitchell’s injury issues are simply part of the package. If the team decides to keep him after the 2027-28 season, health will have to be a major part of the conversation.
And with several tough roster calls looming over the next few years, Mitchell could eventually become expendable if he can’t show he can get through a full season.
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The Thunder opened Las Vegas Summer League with a loss to the Lakers, but the box score still offered a few reasons to keep watching. Oklahoma City fell 96-84 in its first game in the desert, and the offense got steady production from a handful of young players trying to carve out roles in a crowded summer rotation.
Rookie Bennett Stirtz led the way with 18 points, while Brooks Barnhizer added 12 points and 10 rebounds to give the Thunder some needed physicality. Christoph Tilly also chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds, giving Oklahoma City a little frontcourt presence even in a game that never really tilted its way. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Fans Have Seen This Costly Roster Decision Before
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Dort remains one of the teams most trusted defenders, the kind of player who can change a game without needing the ball in his hands. The question, as always with Oklahoma City, is how much that value matters when the offensive limitations are hard to ignore and the front office has to decide how far it wants to go to keep the roster intact. [Read more 🡒]