Over the years, Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder have become known for their unrivaled ability to find hidden gem talents during the NBA Draft process.
From nabbing Aaron Wiggins 55 overall back in 2021 to scooping up Lu Dort out of the undrafted free agency heap back in 2019, Oklahoma City has quite a few success stories currently residing on its championship-tested roster.
Ajay Mitchell is clearly shaping up to be the club's most recent example of their elite diamond-in-the-rough scavenging skills.
Thunder struck gold yet again with second-round pick Ajay Mitchell
Since being selected with the 38 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Mitchell has rather quickly established himself as not only one of the better young prospects on this Thunder team but, frankly, one of the best from his respective class.
Last season, the Santa Barbara product endeared himself to head coach Mark Daigneault thanks to his steady shooting stroke and scrappy defensive play.
By the middle stages of the campaign, he had already become a regular within Oklahoma City's top-seeded rotation and wrapped up year one ranked fifth in three-point percentage (38.3) and first in defensive rating (100.0) among his rookie peers that saw 30 or more games played.
Needless to say, the once-upon-a-time two-way player did enough to earn himself a standard deal with the franchise, and, by late June, he had inked a three-year, $9 million contract to remain in the Sooner State and become a fixture within their core moving forward.
Right out of the gates in 2025-26, this decision to re-up with Mitchell is already seemingly aging like fine wine, as he's been absolutely electric for OKC through their first two games played.
Most recently, he took on an increased role within coach Daigneault's scheme due to the absence of Cason Wallace and wound up dropping a new career-high of 26 points to go along with four assists, three boards, and a steal in an epic double-overtime win against the Indiana Pacers.
Heading into the season, it was already believed to be up for debate about whether Mitchell could work his way into an even bigger role within the Thunder scheme in year two. Now, with his hot start, there's no question that these conversations are a must-have as the team pushes to become the first repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors back in 2018.
Without a doubt, these are the good problems a team covets to have.