Six games into the 2025-26 postseason, one thing has become abundantly clear for the OKC Thunder: Ajay Mitchell has arrived, and he's here to stay.
Yes, the second-year point guard showed the league glimpses of what he's capable of during the regular season, averaging 13.6 points as OKC's sixth man.
But he has truly come into his own in the wake of Jalen Williams' latest injury, shouldering a large chunk of the offensive burden while maintaining his usual elite defensive play.
If the Thunder go on to win the NBA Finals for a second consecutive year, it will in large part be because of Mitchell's efforts.
As for the years to follow, though, the young guard may already have found a new home.
At least, that's what The Ringer's Bill Simmons suggests could become a reality, as he posed a rather polarizing hypothetical during a recent episode of his podcast that involved using Mitchell's emergence as a means to improve their position in this year's draft.
"Could they get creative and maybe get, like, '130 cents on the dollar' type of trade and move up to the fourth pick and try to get Caleb Wilson?" Simmons said.
With this take, Simmons assumes the Thunder will maintain the 12th overall pick. As of now, they have an 86.1 percent chance to stay in that slot.
He also mentioned how important it is for OKC to extend valuable rookie deals for as long as possible, given that they expect to keep their core three intact for years to come.
In what has widely been regarded as a loaded draft class, Simmons believes it could be in OKC's best interest to consolidate players and assets to ensure a chance at a generational talent.
Time may be of the essence in determining Ajay Mitchell's Thunder future
Mitchell's contract lasts through the 2028 season, but the decision to offload him for assets may need to be made sooner rather than later.
If OKC holds onto Mitchell for too long, his stellar performance may establish a price point that OKC simply cannot afford.
Simmons hinted at this inevitability, comparing his situation to Jalen Brunson's departure from the Mavericks to become the franchise cornerstone of the New York Knicks back in the summer of 2022.
While he only averaged 16.3 points in his final season in Dallas, he broke out in the postseason, where he logged 21.6 points per contest on 46.6 percent shooting.
Much like the Knicks' All-Star, Mitchell could eventually become too pricey for general manager Sam Presti, who would be forced to let him walk and test the market.
If this were to happen, the Thunder would find themselves back where they began: hunting for bargains at the back end of drafts.
For now, the Thunder are likely just counting their lucky stars that Ajay Mitchell has been able to fill the void created by Jalen Williams' prolonged absence.
He has kept the second unit afloat and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
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