The Thunder’s salary bill is about to get heavy in a hurry, but Ajay Mitchell is exactly the kind of player who can soften the blow.
Oklahoma City already has $123.8 million tied up in just three names for next season - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren - and the team is on the edge of the second apron even while still one player shy of a full 15-man roster. That’s the reality of building around elite talent. The price tag gets steep fast.
And then there’s Mitchell, who Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz recently ranked as the fourth-best contract in the league. For a Thunder team staring at a growing payroll, that kind of bargain matters.
Mitchell’s season gave the case plenty of fuel. He finished fourth on the Thunder in the offensive pecking order with 13.6 points per game, trailing only the team’s established All-NBA stars. When Jalen Williams missed time, Mitchell didn’t just fill space - he stepped into a bigger role and handled it.
In 16 regular-season starts, he averaged 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 41.7 percent from three. He took it up another level in the playoffs, where he posted 18.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals over seven starts. Oklahoma City won 22-1 in those games.
That’s the kind of production front offices dream about when they’re trying to stay competitive under the current CBA. Mitchell is set to make just $2.9 million this season, which works out to 1.7 percent of the cap. For a player delivering that sort of impact, that’s a major win.
The bigger lesson for Oklahoma City is simple: the Thunder can’t keep their core together on star power alone. With Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren all moving into max-contract territory, the roster will need cheap, effective contributors around them. The only way that works is by finding players like Mitchell - late-draft value, minimum-type money, real production.
The Thunder have the draft capital and the front office track record to believe they can keep doing it. And if they keep uncovering contracts like Mitchell’s, they’ll have a real shot at balancing the books without sacrificing the team on the floor.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Gave Thunder Fans A New Ranking To Argue About
ESPNs annual look ahead to the NBAs top 100 players for the 2026-27 season gave Thunder fans plenty to sift through, with seven Oklahoma City players making the list. The grouping says a lot about how deep the roster has become, with the network weighing individual production along with defensive and offensive impact while spotlighting names like Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Hartenstein.
The placements near the top of the Thunder contingent are bound to spark the most debate, especially with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren sitting right next to each other in the upper tier of the rankings. But the list also left room for some of the more surprising reactions, including where Cason Wallace landed as he cracked the top 100 for the first time, which is exactly the kind of detail that tends to keep Oklahoma City fans arguing well after the article is closed. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Fans May Not Like Where This Core Question Is Headed
Sam Prestis latest salary-cap comments offered a reminder that the Thunders current position is as much about the future as the present. Oklahoma City is sitting below the NBAs second apron after moving on from Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, and the front office has already begun mapping out how expensive it could get once the next wave of extensions fully lands.
The bigger question is whether ownership will be comfortable paying the price to keep this group together if the Thunder stay in contention. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are all headed toward deals that will consume a massive share of the payroll, and Prestis framing made clear that the roster-building choices ahead may be less about talent evaluation than about how far the franchise is willing to push its budget to chase a title. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Still Have One Clear Way To Get Even Better
The Thunder spent last season showing how far a deep, versatile roster can carry a contender, and the next step may be tightening the details that separate good teams from great ones. Oklahoma City has already built a defense with real length and interior presence, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren setting the tone, but the front office still has room to sharpen the edge around the basket. Offensive rebounding and shot-blocking remain clear areas where the roster can keep climbing.
Thomas Sorber and Aday Mara are among the pieces expected to help in those spots as the Thunder continue to reshape the mix around their core. There is also a broader offensive question hanging over the season: how much more can Oklahoma City lean into shared creation instead of asking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to solve so many possessions on his own? If the Thunder get that balance right, they may not just be deep enough to contend again, but even harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]