The OKC Thunder are excited to have Jalen Williams back in the rotation, but will his return from injury cause a dilemma for the team?
With Ajay Mitchell taking a step forward this season, one has to wonder if Williams' presence will prove to be an obstacle for the sophomore reaching his full potential.
Williams scored 11 points and added eight rebounds in what wound up being a 123-119 win over the Phoenix Suns during Friday's debut. An All-Star last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams' performance will only improve as he adjusts to playing in the NBA on a consistent basis once again.
OKC is going to heavily utilize Williams without question.
With SGA and Williams leading the way, the Thunder may be dynasty-bound. With that said, did his return immediately impact Mitchell's minutes and overall role?
Ajay Mitchell's outlook after Jalen Williams' Thunder return
Williams played just over 29 minutes in his return on Friday night. Mitchell saw only 4:41 minutes of action, but his limited playing time was due to a knee injury, the severity of which has yet to be revealed.
Friday's game failed to provide much of a glimpse into Mitchell's future with Williams back on the floor, but there is reason to believe his role will be impacted moving forward.
The Thunder feature a fairly guard-heavy roster. SGA is obviously a starter, while Luguentz Dort and Williams can start on the wings. That leaves Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace as candidates to back them up, along with Mitchell and Isaiah Joe.
Mitchell has played like a breakout star early in the campaign, so he is not currently in danger of falling out of the rotation. The 23-year-old has averaged over 26 minutes per contest early in the 2025-26 campaign, while also starting five of the 20 games he's appeared in.
With Williams back in the fold, Mitchell likely won't start and his minutes could see a decrease.
Mitchell's on-court role is also a talking point. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has used Mitchell as a secondary scoring option at times behind SGA this season. Now, that responsibility will default back to Williams, which may lead to less of a scoring role for Mitchell.
Mitchell's 24.1 percent usage rate -- which is currently second on the Thunder -- is destined to decline as well. His 12.0 field goal attempts per contest is another average that is likely to decrease.
Mitchell should still have a realistic opportunity to positively impact the Thunder throughout the remainder of the season. His emergence as a breakout star may have to take a backseat for now, however.