Many are of the belief that the OKC Thunder have the next coming of Jalen Brunson in Ajay Mitchell.
From sharing a similar path to the NBA by way of being second-round selections to boasting highly comparable styles of play, particularly on the offensive end, it's easy for Oklahoma City fans to see and, in turn, get excited about the aforementioned correlation.
Interestingly enough, based on a recent reveal by Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh, the Celtics seem to be under the impression that they, too, might have their own "in-house version" of the Knicks superstar in Payton Pritchard, and, to them, the only way to fully unlock his potential was to move on from franchise cornerstone Jaylen Brown.
“The Celtics trading [Jaylen] Brown is a bet that [Payton] Pritchard is their in-house version of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a diminutive player who didn’t fully show his talents until Luka Dončić was out of the picture," Haberstroh said.
Regardless of what one's personal opinion is on this Pritchard take, the fact of the matter is that Boston believes that in order for him to reach this Brunson-esque level, having him step into more of a prominent role within their rotation is vital. This, according to Haberstroh, influenced Boston's decision to trade Brown to Philadelphia.
If this truly is the case for someone of this kind of ilk, Mitchell's tenure with the Thunder may, in fact, have an expiration date, for, unlike the Celtics with Brown, there seems to be little to no chance Sam Presti would be willing to part ways with any of his Big Three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren any time soon.
Ajay Mitchell may not be able to reach full potential with Thunder
The rise of Brunson following his departure from Dallas and arrival in New York has seemingly made promising young guards who thrive in a tertiary/ reserve role all the more valuable for shopping squads.
This could spell serious trouble for the Thunder once Mitchell's current contract comes to a close in the summer of 2028.
Like Brunson during his time with the Mavericks, Mitchell has only proven capable of excelling when handed the keys to a top-tier role within OKC's scheme.
Though he objectively had a career-best campaign in 2025-26, boasting averages of 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 48.5 percent shooting from the field while predominantly coming off the pine, it was his skyrocketing production and impact when in the starting lineup that has many feeling he's more than just a mere role player.
In 16 games slotted into the first five rotation, Mitchell went on to drop 14.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on 49.4 percent shooting from the floor and 41.7 percent shooting from deep.
He would also see seven starts in the postseason due to yet another unfortunate Jalen Williams hamstring injury, and posted 18.4 points, 4.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.
The Thunder would go a combined 22-1 in such contests.
Clearly, Mitchell has the makings of a high-impact player and potential top option in this league. Of course, assuming the Thunder are fully committed to their core star trio of SGA, J-Dub, and Chet, the height of the 24-year-old's ceiling, both from a playing and earnings standpoint, will forever be capped should he stay put for the long haul.
Because of this, it may sadly be believed to be in Mitchell's best interest to move on from Oklahoma City once his steal of a deal comes to its inevitable close in just a couple of years.
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