6. Drafted Ajay Mitchell
Drafted UC Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell with the No. 38 pick
The Indiana Pacers just agreed to a contract extension with Andrew Nembhard, a long, versatile guard who can defend multiple positions, run the offense, and excel on or off the ball depending on the lineup.
It's possible that the Thunder just found their version of Nembhard in UC Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell.
Mitchell has excellent touch no matter where he is shooting from; he shot 39.3 percent from deep, has a smooth floater, and is a crafty finisher. He is not an elite ball-handler, so he is better cast alongside a primary option, but he has the size at 6-foot-3 to survive off-ball defensively and has a high motor on that end of the court.
The Thunder didn't get a future superstar in Mitchell, but it looks like they may have scored another rotation player. Mitchell was great right off the bat in Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 18 points and four assists in two games, hitting 50 percent on three-pointers and 100 percent of his free throws.
The value in drafting Mitchell seems solid, but the need is a major question mark. The Thunder are positively flush with guards, from Alex Caruso to Cason Wallace to Isaiah Joe, and that doesn't even count the two guards they drafted in the first round.
It's hard to see Mitchell as a need of any kind, and the logjam on the roster combined with their championship aspirations will be a major barrier to playing time.
Can he ball out in the G League for a season and then start working his way in next year? Sure, but most of the Thunder's guards don't appear to be going anywhere. This pick looks much better if they take someone else at 26, but paired with the Dillon Jones selection it becomes a weird decision to make. Can this team add a forward somewhere?
Grade: B-