Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell is never shaken by the moment

Most NBA fans outside of Oklahoma are probably just getting familiar with the name Ajay Mitchell. The second-year Oklahoma City Thunder guard has made a name for himself during these NBA playoffs while stepping into the starting lineup for injured 2025 NBA All-Star Jalen Williams.

As for Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates, they were familiar with Mitchell from just after the 2024 draft, when the team traded with the Knicks to acquire him in the second round.

“It might be a shock to the world,” Gilgeous-Alexander recently told the media, “but it’s not to us. We knew who Ajay Mitchell was the day he stepped foot in our building, and he’s just showing it to the world.”

Thunder forward Chet Holmgren told Andscape: “I’ve been an Ajay fan since before [his rookie] season.”

The Thunder have been without Williams, who averaged 17.1 points per game during the regular season, since he strained his hamstring in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Mitchell has started in Williams’ place in the six games since, averaging 21.2 points and scoring a playoff career-high 28 points to help eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of a second-round playoff sweep last week.

While Williams could return for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Mitchell deserves credit for helping the Thunder not miss an offensive beat during his absence.

“I know what I can do when I go out there,” Mitchell recently told reporters. “I just want to compete and help this team freely. Every time I step on the court, I want to be a winning player and help this team. That’s really what has been on my mind every time I play.”

Said Gilgeous-Alexander: “He’s a gamer. Works super hard. He’s never shaken by the moment.”

Mitchell was born in Ans, Belgium, on June 25, 2002. He is the son of former HBCU standout Barry Mitchell, a Virginia native who played forward at Norfolk State and went on to a professional career in the Continental Basketball Association and in Belgium and France. Ajay Mitchell was also once teammates with Spurs center Victor Wembanyama with Paris Nanterre 92’s Under-19 team.

While keeping his amateur status, Mitchell played in his home country for Limburg United’s senior team during the 2019-20 season. He came to America in 2021 after accepting a basketball scholarship at UC Santa Barbara.

Mitchell made an immediate impact for the Gauchos, averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds and being named 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year. The 2024 Big West Conference Player of the Year averaged 16.3 points as a sophomore and 20 points as a junior.

He entered his name into the 2024 NBA draft and impressed scouts with his performance at the NBA pre-draft camp that year. Agent Todd Ramasar believed his client had the potential to be an impact player before the draft, noting his European experience would be an asset.

“Offensively, he was a true three-level scorer,” Ramasar told Andscape. “He knocked down 3s, had a reliable midrange, and was exceptional getting downhill and finishing in the paint. That ability to get to the rim and convert separated him. Defensively, he held his own at his position. At 6-foot-4, he had real positional size growing up as a point guard, paired with a high basketball IQ.

“The fundamentals he learned playing in Europe at a high level, combined with the influence of his American father, gave him a complete package. It reminds me a lot of Tony Parker’s background and the total game that came out of it. He also showed the ability to play on and off the ball, primary or secondary ball handler. That versatility is exactly what today’s championship-level teams have on their roster, and it’s a big reason for what you’re seeing from him now.”

Atlanta Hawks guard Gabe Vincent and five-time NBA champion Brian Shaw played at UC Santa Barbara, but the Gauchos had not had a player drafted since Orlando Johnson in 2012. Mitchell ended that streak in 2024, when he was selected with the 38th pick by the New York Knicks, who traded his rights to the Thunder.

Despite being drafted, Mitchell signed a two-way deal with the Thunder, who told him he would be given an opportunity with hard work.

“There was part of me that truly believed I was a first-round pick,” Mitchell said. “But there was another part of me that was like, ‘Don’t forget where you come from.’ For me to even play in the NBA and get drafted was like a dream as a little kid. Being able to do it, I will never take it for granted.

“It was a little mixed [emotions]. I definitely wanted to show people I was worth a first-round pick. I am just really happy to be a part of this organization with an opportunity to get better. That was the main goal for me.”

Mitchell played sparingly as a rookie, averaging 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 36 games during the 2024-25 season. What caught the Thunder’s attention was that he shot 49.5% from the floor and 38.3% from 3-point range. His biggest challenge was missing 46 regular-season games with turf toe on his right foot, keeping him out for more than three months beginning in early January.

While sidelined, he enhanced his basketball IQ and improved his body.

“The most challenging thing was definitely the injury,” Mitchell told Andscape. “When I got hurt, I was definitely upset at first. That was a tough moment. But it was a good opportunity for me to learn the game from the sideline. I also had the ability to work on my body, too.”

Mitchell saw the floor in just four of the seven games of last year’s NBA Finals, with 12 of his 19 total Finals minutes coming in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s lopsided Game 6 loss. While he didn’t have a major impact on Oklahoma City’s run to its first championship, he worked diligently in preparation for his opportunity.

He credited his Christian faith for getting him through his rookie challenges and started preparing for this season shortly after raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“Through it all, I’m staying patient. no matter what,” Mitchell told Andscape. “That has really been important for me. And then enjoying the moment, no matter what happens. That’s also the key. Not taking anything for granted, knowing the position I am in and how lucky I am. …

“Right when the season was done and we won a championship, it was about how I could get better as a player. Then it was about putting in that work, and once you come back, showing what you can do. The [championship] means a lot. Obviously, it was a dream as a kid. I was really happy for it to happen my first year. But with time, you realize that now you want more. It was a great feeling, great moment, but I tried to turn the page into this [season].”

The Thunder showed faith in Mitchell by signing him to a three-year, $9 million contract last offseason that now seems like a bargain. He returned to sunny Santa Barbara last offseason, when he worked out at the P3 Peak Performance Project, a high-tech sports science facility and training laboratory used by numerous NBA players.

“I kind of worked on a little bit of everything,” Mitchell said. “The main thing was to get stronger and just work on every part of my game I could get better at. I want to be a complete player. There was no pinpoint thing like, ‘I need to work on that,’ but it was about trying to be a complete player.”

Mitchell said it was “important for him to be aggressive on both ends” during his second season with the Thunder. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds primarily off the bench in 57 regular-season games this season. In 16 games as a starter, he averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and shot 41.7% from 3-point range.

“I feel like it’s really doing anything the team needs me to do,” Mitchell said of his role. “Obviously, being aggressive on both fronts, making plays for myself, my teammates, but really focusing on how I can help this team win. That’s how I saw it last year when I got minutes, and that’s how I see it this year.”

Regardless of his role going forward, Mitchell has the talent and mental preparedness to be ready.

“[He’s a] humble kid,” Holmgren said. “I’m happy to be able to hoop with him. The crazy part is he’s only going to continue to get better.”