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The Oklahoma City Thunder and their fanbase are on Cloud 9 right now, as it hasn't been a month since they won the first title in the history of the franchise since relocating in 2008. They have come close a few times, but they have now broken through — making the core trio of the team (MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren) more than deserving of the huge contract extensions they received earlier this offseason.
Barring a major unforeseen disaster, the Thunder are well-positioned yet again to compete for another title for the next few years before the punitive measures of being in the second apron take effect. After all, they have a plethora of draft picks, with Nikola Topic finally ready to play after missing his entire rookie year.
For the 2025 edition of Summer League, both in Salt Lake and in Las Vegas, the Thunder will be led by NBA champion Ajay Mitchell, who could be in line for a larger rotation role in his sophomore season. Two other NBA champions, Branden Carlson and Alex Ducas, represent the Thunder during summer as well. Another notable name on the roster is Brooks Barnhizer, the 44th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.
However, 2025 first-round pick Thomas Sorber isn't quite ready yet to suit up in Summer League as he recovers from a toe injury that required surgery back in February.
The Thunder have already played five Summer League games, giving us plenty of material to react to. With that, here are a few overreactions.
Ajay Mitchell is a man amongst boys
It did not take long for Mitchell to show that he has the maturity most of his peers doesn't, which is an effect of being a part of a Thunder squad that overcame plenty of adversity on their way to winning it all. From the jump in Salt Lake City, Mitchell showed that he may be in for a better year as a sophomore, as he was bullying the opposition with his huge frame for a guy with his ballhandling and all-around game.
In his 2025 Summer League debut against the Memphis Grizzlies, Mitchell looked like a man amongst boys, a father who was teaching his son the cold hard reality of playing basketball in the backyard.
The lefty is able to utilize his size and strength advantage to get by or even power through defenders, and when defenders sag off him, he can just pull up off the dribble and drill a three-ball right in their grill.
Thus far in five Summer League games, Mitchell is averaging 18.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 43/39/84 shooting splits. It's not quite clear how he'd fit in the Thunder's rotation for next season, seeing as they have brought back all the players that comprised their 2025 NBA playoff rotation.
But he'll be a valuable piece to fill in for when the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams inevitably take a day off or two for the sake of load management. He's a more well-rounded offensive player than the likes of Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Nikola Topic, and his size allows him to slide up to the two or even the three.
Whatever the case may be, Mitchell is making a strong case to be a more prominent member of the Thunder rotation next season.
Nikola Topic looks to be worth the wait
The 2024 NBA Draft class may not have been one of the most highly-regarded in recent memory, but even then, Topic was slated to go in the top-10 of the draft before an injury tanked his draft stock a little. The Thunder, seeing how stacked their roster was even at the time of last year's draft, decided to take a risk on him, giving him the entire 2024-25 season off so he could recover fully from a torn ACL.
But now, Topic is fully healed, and he's ready to make noise for the Thunder in Summer League. And while his scoring game currently looks rough, the ability to distribute and lead the team as a floor general that made him such a tantalizing prospect to begin with has translated almost immediately.
Through the first five games of Summer League, Topic is averaging 5.8 assists per contest; in their latest contest, a win against the Indiana Pacers, Topic even notched 10 assists, masterfully swinging the ball to the open guy and displaying masterful court vision, awareness, and passing skill.
He is also quick off the bounce, allowing him to blow past his man and draw help defenders, and he's able to make the consistent pass to the open man along the three-point line. Topic does much of his damage in the playmaking department on the pick-and-roll, and fans can already imagine how much synergy he'll have with a talented roll man like Isaiah Hartenstein.
Now, against stronger opposition, Topic has to clean up his scoring efficiency. He's shooting 33.3 percent from the field thus far in Summer League. He shot 2-13 against the Philadelphia 76ers and 3-12 against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. His passing ability can only take him so far if his shot doesn't come around.
But Topic is only 19 (he'll be turning 20 prior to the start of next season) and he's already displaying the playmaking feel of savvy veteran, making him well worth the wait for the Thunder as a point guard with a more traditional skillset.
Keep an eye out on Chris Youngblood
Other than having an incredibly memorable name, it's clear that Youngblood has a chance of sticking around for the Thunder thanks to his ability to shoot from beyond the arc. Youngblood, who went undrafted, is not gun-shy at all, as he launches from deep with not much care as long as he gets a sliver of space.
He's shooting 48.4 percent from three thus far in five Summer League games, and he's averaging 20 points per contest in Las Vegas after being promoted to the starting lineup by Thunder SL head coach Connor Johnson.
Youngblood shot 38.8 percent from three in college, and it looks like his confidence and shot-making ability has a chance to translate at the pro level.
