Overview:
Ajay Mitchell returned in time for the Thunder’s playoff run after a torn toe ligament sidelined him for 46 games
Not even a major toe jam could keep Ajay Mitchell from getting his foot in the door with professional basketball’s best team.
The former UC Santa Barbara star has secured his place with the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder despite the team’s young, overcrowded roster and his long stay on this season’s injured list.
The team trash-canned his old contract and signed him this weekend to a new, three-year deal worth nearly $9 million.
“The head coach of Oklahoma City texted me (Wednesday) and said how excited he is about Ajay’s future,” Gaucho coach Joe Pasternack said.
OKC coach Mark Daigneault, in fact, kept him in town for another workout on Thursday.
That was just one day after Mitchell celebrated his 23rd birthday by walking in the Thunder’s victory parade through Oklahoma City.
The scene, he said, was “crazy.”
“A dream come true for me,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid, so I’m really excited.
“It’s a crazy feeling, actually, being an NBA champion … Amazing.”
Summer Job
Mitchell practiced Thursday with a group of young prospects in preparation for the NBA Pro Summer League.
He will play for the Thunder in Saturday’s 4 p.m. Pro Summer League opener against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
Daigneault also plans to use Mitchell in games on July 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers, July 8 versus the Utah Jazz, and possibly even in one more game when the Summer League moves to Las Vegas on July 10.
“They love him, they really do,” said Pasternack, who attended Oklahoma City’s title-clinching victory over the Indiana Pacers on June 22. “If he hadn’t gotten hurt, he would’ve been in their regular rotation.
“Injuries can be just devastating, but the fact he came back so quickly is a testament to who he is.”
The Thunder used the No. 38 pick to select Mitchell in the second round of last year’s NBA draft.
The 6-foot-5 point guard made a good first impression during the following weeks of the NBA Summer League.
He averaged 16.4 points and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 40% from three-point range and 53% overall.
Mitchell kept that ball rolling during the regular season by averaging 6.5 points in 15½ minutes of playing time.
He shot 38.3% from the three-point line, 49.5% overall, and produced an elite 100.2 defensive rating.
Daigneault liked his versatility, especially as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. He produced 1.012 points per possession in that setting and was particularly effective on cuts at 1.632 points per possession.
“He’s got utility,” Daigneault said. “There are things he can bring to our team that are unique.”
Pasternack noted that most drafted players must first prove themselves in the G League.
“Ajay didn’t play even one game in the G League,” he said. “They kept him with the Thunder, so they’re really investing in him … They really believe in him.
“When I was there, they were so, so incredibly complimentary of him — of who he is as a person and as a player.”
Mother Lode
Mitchell scored some bonus points with Pasternack during the NBA Finals by getting him a seat for Game 7 next to his mother, Fabienne Wagemans.
She did give the Gaucho coach some grief for giving Pacers guard T.J. McConnell a pregame hug. Pasternack was the associate head coach at Arizona when McConnell was the Wildcats’ star point guard.
“I couldn’t clap when T.J. made a basket or she would’ve hit me,” Pasternack said jokingly. “You’ve got to root for the person who gave you the tickets.”
The Thunder showed their appreciation of Mitchell at midseason by upgrading his two-way contract into a regular, two-year deal worth $6 million.
The team had to officially decline the option on the second year so they could sign him this weekend to the new three-year contract.
“He came out and he was playing really well early,” OKC guard Alex Caruso said. “A really silent, humble guy who goes out there and has extreme skill and toughness and competitiveness.”
But Mitchell also needed surgery in January to repair a torn ligament in the big toe of his right foot.
The injury sidelined him for 46 games during the next three months. He didn’t play again until the last two contests of the regular season.
Mitchell handled the setback like a champ.
“I think it really helped me to grow as a person but also a basketball player,” he said. “I learned a lot throughout that period.
“Obviously, on the basketball court watching film, getting stronger. And then outside of basketball, doing some more stuff, being close with family.”
Those three missing months did cost Mitchell his spot in a player rotation that produced the NBA’s best regular-season record of 68-14.
He played in 12 of Oklahoma City’s 23 playoff games, but only once when the outcome hadn’t already been decided.
Future Shock
The situation led NBA insiders such as Mark Nilon to wonder if Mitchell would be the odd man out in the numbers game the Thunder faces this offseason.
“Sadly, in the event that they do try to create space for an intriguing young rookie prospect, there’s a strong case to be made that the most likely roster casualty will be Ajay Mitchell,” he wrote on June 10.
Think again, Mr. Nilon.
The new, long-term deal indicates how prominent his role will be in future Oklahoma City seasons.
“We’ll see, we’ll see,” Mitchell said. “But we’re going to keep going and keep doing what we do, and just get better every day …
“I’m really excited about that.”
Mitchell, for now, just wants to savor the whole experience.
Oklahoma City plans to honor each Thunder player plus Daigneault, team owner Clay Bennett and general manager Sam Presti with a designated holiday through July 30.
Mitchell’s day will be July 15.
“He’ll be back here in August,” Pasternack said. “He’s looking for a place back here … wants to move back to Santa Barbara during the offseason.”
It would be, as Mitchell puts it, an “amazing,” round-trip journey.
“It’s been a long year, but it’s an amazing experience for me,” he said. “It’s all I’ve wanted since I was a little kid.
“When I look back at where I was even five years ago, being back home in Belgium, and where I am now, I’m beyond grateful.”
And anxious, too, to toe the line once again.
