March 16, 2026, 4:01 p.m. CT
After being out for nearly two months, the Oklahoma City Thunder have thrown Ajay Mitchell right into the thick of things. Back-to-back rare starts provided the 23-year-old a chance to make up for lost time in a pair of wins over high-quality opponents.
The Thunder capped off a strong four-game homestand with a 116-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Usually in a Sixth Man role, Mitchell started alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s a spoil of riches to opt with him over a probable All-Defense Team member Cason Wallace.
Mitchell finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. While the scoring wasn’t there, he helped slow down Anthony Edwards — who was quiet with 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting and six turnovers.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault explained why they promoted Mitchell with two starts. He’s had 12 starts among his 82 career games. Including 11 in 46 games this season. While OKC usually has a constantly shifting starting lineup, his minutes with Gilgeous-Alexander always produce.
“We’re going to need him and he’s not played a ton of games despite being a high-impact player,” Daigneault said. “So, the opportunity to get him out early in the game in some of these high-level games is an opportunity we want to take advantage of right now.”
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Among OKC’s two-man lineups with 600-plus minutes logged together, the Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell combo easily sports the best net rating at a plus-20.5. That’s a weapon the Thunder will likely lean on in the NBA playoffs. It’s the perfect mix of scoring and defense.
“A guy that can go make a play at any given time,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “A guy that can pass, dribble, shoot at a high level, on a basketball floor and also defend. Having guys like that on the court is a luxury. You kinda have no holes out there when he’s out on the court from his position standpoint. So, it’s a luxury having him out there. I don’t think we’ve lost since he’s been back, and it’s no surprise.”
Bringing back mostly the same group from last year’s NBA champion, Mitchell has popped off the most. He went from a decent two-way rookie to an integral part of OKC’s success this season. Being an efficient 14-point scorer has helped the Thunder overcome an unending supply of injuries.
It’ll be interesting to see how Mitchell looks in his first real playoff run. Last year, he was mostly on the bench as he missed three months with a toe injury. By the time he returned, it was too late to knock off any rust before the playoffs started. This year, that won’t be the case.
If this four-game sweep of a homestand taught us anything, though, it’s that Mitchell should help OKC’s back-to-back title ambitions. The talent is too overwhelming to let inexperience get in the way.