The Oklahoma City Thunder just went up 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
Game 2 was a gritty win, one that, unfortunately, has been clouded by Jalen Williams' latest hamstring injury, but what transpired out at Paycom Center wasn't the only recent bit of news relating to the defending champions.
The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award was announced on Tuesday, and Ajay Mitchell received the fifth-most total points for the prestigious accolade.
The breakout guard from UC Santa Barbara fell short of being named a finalist for the award that Keldon Johnson ended up winning, but the 29 total points he received only further proved that he might just be the most valuable bench player in the NBA.
Thunder have Ajay Mitchell glued to one of best contracts in the NBA
Mitchell is on an absolute bargain of a contract, which isn't something that the other star sixth men can say.
The point guard has been a pleasant surprise in his second season. Nearly everybody in the scouting community viewed his selection in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft as a complete steal, but few would have predicted he'd have the type of year he has had for a team fresh off a championship victory.
Mitchell played a huge role for the Thunder in 2025-26, averaging 25.8 minutes while scoring 13.6 points per game.
The Thunder have better depth than any other team in the NBA, especially in the backcourt, yet the sophomore established himself as one of their core players going forward.
Mitchell started his career as the third Thunder draftee in his respective draft class, and he was signed to just a two-way contract. That made his future on a loaded team far from a certainty, but Oklahoma City has quickly committed to him.
Mitchell was handed a three-year deal ahead of this season. Some viewed that as a risky move at the time because of just how many great players and future draft picks the team has, but now his $9 million payday looks like one of the best bargains in the league.
Not only is the combo guard under contract for two more years, but his deal depreciates to where Oklahoma City will pay him less than $3 million in each of the next two seasons. The deal accounts for less than two percent of the team's cap space, too.
For a team that has already paid, or will eventually pay, a lot of great players, having such a stud on at a discounted rate is immensely important.
Mitchell's contract looks even better when compared to other Sixth Man of the Year vote getters.
Johnson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Naz Reid, three of the other four players who were top five in votes for the award, all make significantly more than Mitchell. In fact, Johnson and Reid will make around double next season alone compared to the entire value of Mitchell's contract.
The other prestigious sixth man, Tim Hardaway Jr., was signed to a veteran's minimum worth just over $3 million. Not only is he still even higher paid than Mitchell this year, but he is set for a massive pay raise this upcoming offseason.
Mitchell will make an impact in Oklahoma City for years to come, and the Thunder have to appreciate that he will be doing so on the cheap.
Add us as a preferred source on Google