While the rest of the world is looking at the financial effects of the trades the OKC Thunder pulled off this summer, Ajay Mitchell is laser-focused on how they may impact his role within the rotation.
During a recent talk with Belgian sports media company Sporza, the soon-to-be junior revealed that while it's a "shame" to see "three good friends" in Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort depart from Oklahoma City, ultimately, he understands the NBA is a business.
Of course, with these decisions made by the Thunder, he also realizes how it now "creates more responsibility" for him within coach Mark Daigneault's on-court game plan, which, to him, "gives me a lot of confidence."
Frankly, Thunder fans should also have a strong sense of confidence themselves when it comes to the prospect of Mitchell taking on more duties in the rotation, as he's already proven more than capable of stepping up when the club has asked him to.
Ajay Mitchell has already proven to excel when Thunder ask for more
As a result of last season's injury woes, the Thunder found themselves relying on Mitchell more than many may have expected coming into the campaign.
The results proved to be absolutely mesmerizing, as the former second-round pick broke out onto the scene to produce impressive averages of 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and registering the third-best plus-minus on the team at plus-8.8.
His stellar efforts would net him a top-five finish in the 2026 Sixth Man of the Year race.
Of course, his play would only rise to an entirely new level in the playoffs when tasked with taking over Jalen Williams' role following yet another hamstring flare-up, as he would drop 18.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor through seven starts.
Time and time again, Mitchell has answered the call when more has been asked of him. Now, with three core members of last year's rotation gone, along with their playing time and shot attempts, the 24-year-old only expects to be tasked with even more responsibilities during the 2026-27 season.
As if entering a contract year wasn't already enough motivation, it seems Mitchell has added even more drive to deliver a new career-best year thanks to the opportunities now presented to him following the departures of Joe, Wiggins, and Dort.
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