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Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024 second-round pick, Ajay Mitchell, showed the significant strides he's made with a rookie campaign under his belt. The champion guard shined in a 92-80 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. After the Thunder's 15th overall pick, Thomas Sober inked a four-year rookie deal, he was forced to sit out while recovering from a season-ending foot injury.
At the same time, Mitchell's 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting, six assists, and one steal led the Thunder. He also impressed Summer League head coach Daniel Dixon, who sang his praises after the loss.
“Ajay's a really dynamic player. If you put him in space, he's really good. He's really fast with the ball. He also shares the ball really well. He did a great job. He's stepping into a leadership role, and I thought he did a really good job of handling that, taking more on his shoulders there. And I think that's just another growth opportunity for him.”
There's a reason the second-round pick didn't spend anytime with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder's G League affiliate, in 2024-25. Mitchell often answered the phone when called upon for additional playing time. As the third-string guard in Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault's depth chart, Ajay stayed ready and delivered in spurts, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
Ajay Mitchell made 36 regular-season appearances for the Thunder while averaging 6.5 points on 49.5% shooting, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 16.6 minutes per game during the regular season.
Nikola Topic makes his Thunder Summer League debut
The Thunder's 12th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Nikola Topic made his summer league debut against the Grizzlies. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep, four assists, and two steals. After the game, Thunder Summer League head coach Daniel Dixon revealed his first impressions of Topic.
“Really excited for him. Just for him to be back on the floor. Being part of his process in terms of him getting back on the court, he's put in a ton of work,” Dixon said about Topic. “He's a really young player, really excited for him to build his baseline as a player. I thought today, he did a really good job at just coming out and letting the game tell him what to do.”
For Mitchell, he's taking on a role that aligns with a second-year guard coming off of a championship run.
“I think that's what I gotta do in my second Summer League,” Mitchell said. “So, I gotta help in any way I can.”
Mitchell and the Thunder will face the third overall pick, VJ Edgecombe and the 76ers on Monday.
