Sometimes in the NBA, it's very obvious when a player would thrive with bigger responsibilities. Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace both fit that description. Both guards have stepped into bigger roles this season due to injuries in the backcourt; Mitchell has been a beacon of consistency throughout the season, and Wallace popped off in February when he was called on.
In the stacked Thunder rotation, these two might not be household names outside of diehard NBA circles. But the team knows just how much they've meant to the championship defense year, especially with both Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing time.
Both Mitchell and Wallace have positive on-off numbers. That might not sound like much, but for a historically good team to be better when two guys (who often come off the bench) are on the floor is pretty remarkable. It's another example of everyone knowing exactly what they're expected to do on this Thunder team, and being willing to slide into bigger roles in a moment's notice.
If they were consistently asked to play those bigger roles — I think Mitchell and Wallace are both everyday starter-caliber guards for about 85% of NBA teams — their raw numbers would be much higher. I see no reason why both of these guys can't post 15 & 5 on a nightly basis. But Thunder fans aren't anxious to find that out, and they won't need to for at least a few years.
Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace are both under team control for years
Mitchell is in the first year of a three-year, $8.7 million deal with a team option in year three. Wallace has a team option for next season (that's already been picked up) and then he'll be a restricted free agent in Summer 2027.
Get ready for teams to try and poach both of these players from the Thunder. The pitch from opposing front offices is easy to picture; they'll try to convince Sam Presti that, once Mitchell and Wallace's contracts expire, there's no chance the Thunder will have the money to keep them around longterm, so the Thunder may as well get an asset or two in return.
Will Presti bite? Doubtful. Over the years, we've learned that the Thunder would rather get production from the players on their roster for as long as possible rather than ship guys out to "get ahead" of losing them in free agency.
I am all for players maximizing their skills and getting paid as much as possible. Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace both have long careers and large paychecks ahead of them — and the Thunder will likely be priced out of their services at some point, but in the meantime, they're becoming unsung heroes in OKC.