The acquisition of Jared McCain prior to the February 5 trade deadline may be considered the best buy-low transaction of the season, but the OKC Thunder are now on the verge of officially making their biggest rotational addition yet.
Well, technically, it's more of a reintroduction.
Ahead of Monday's clash with the Denver Nuggets, for the first time in a long time, sophomore guard Ajay Mitchell has been taken off the league's injury report and is expected to be available for action.
This comes following a nearly seven-week hiatus as a result of a strained abdomen.
The last time Thunder fans saw Mitchell on the hardwood was during a 122-102 beatdown of the Milwaukee Bucks back on January 22, where he finished off the night with 18 points on 66.7 percent shooting from the field and added on three boards, two assists, and two steals in 25 minutes of play.
Prior to his shelving, Oklahoma City was riding high on a ridiculous 37-8 record, a win percentage of .822. Without him, though still rather solid, they've gone 13-7, a win percentage of .650.
Ajay Mitchell has been one of the most impactful players for Thunder
Though guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren receive the lion's share of credit and attention when it comes to this Thunder team's successes, here in 2025-26, Mitchell has undeniably been right up their with the star trio as far as impact is concerned.
On the season, the 23-year-old ranks second in plus-minus (9.3) and on-court net rating (15.9) while ranking 38 in the completely stacked Western Conference in PER (17.32) among those who have logged over 40 games of action.
The 38 pick from the 2024 NBA Draft, Mitchell has ascended from a two-way project to being considered one of the best reserve guards the league has to offer in less than two seasons of play.
To Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz, the Santa Barbara product is the third most underrated player in the association today, and his averages of 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals on 48.7 percent shooting from the floor and 35.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc only help further back up this claim.
From his strong defensive skills to his tremendous all-around scoring abilities, Mitchell has proven himself to be an integral part of this top-seeded Thunder team's in-game attack. Getting him back into the fold during their final 17-game stretch should provide them a boost in all facets of the game.