Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder has faced some challenges lately, it’s undeniable that they’ve been nearly perfect for most of the season, considering they are the defending champions. While the entire roster has contributed from time to time to this impressive start to their title defense, one player, apart from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has stood out the most, and experts believe that to become a superstar, he must leave OKC.

The player we’re talking about is none other than Ajay Mitchell, who has emerged as the Thunder’s unlikely second option this season. While it’s not a surprise that he’s been playing at such a high level, it’s surprising to see him make that transition so quickly. So much so that NBA journalists Bill Simmons and Tim Ledger believe he’ll have to follow a path similar to New York’s Jalen Brunson’s.

“I’m watching a guy that at some point, and I don’t know when it’s going to happen because if he stays in Oklahoma City a long time, it’s not going to happen there because of those two guards and how young those two players are, SGA and Jalen Williams, maybe it’s somewhere else a few years down the road,” Ledger said. “I think this guy legitimately has like All-Star potential.”

“In Brunson’s case, it was Luka (Doncic). In this case, it’s SGA, Jalen Williams, as the off-guard. I think this guy, potentially, when he gets his own team, puts the ball on his hip and runs the show. I think Ajay Mitchell is potentially like going to become a star. When that happens, I don’t know,” he further continued on The Bill Simmons Podcast.

The journalist pointed out that Mitchell has what it takes to be a top player, but he won’t achieve that while on the Thunder. He used Jalen Brunson, who was somewhat of an afterthought behind Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks, before getting traded to the Knicks and erupting as an example to provide everyone a clear picture of where OKC’s guard is at this moment in his career.

Indeed, the 23-year-old guard, who has just missed a single game this season, has been the backbone of his team. Mitchell is currently averaging 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from deep. Although those numbers might not look like All-Star level yet, we’ve got to keep in mind he’s only been averaging about 26.1 minutes per game.

So, by the looks of things, if Ajay Mitchell, just like Jalen Brunson, is allowed to lead a team and be its primary ball handler, his numbers would most likely be much better. Nonetheless, that seems unlikely at the moment, with him being on a three-year $8.7 million rookie deal set to run through the 2027-28 season. Until then, we can only appreciate him like his former teammate.

Victor Wembanyama is “proud” of his former teammate Ajay Mitchell

While there might be a new rivalry brewing between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, after their heated recent couple of meetings during the NBA Cup semi-finals and on Tuesday, not all love is lost between a few of the players. One such pair of players from both teams is Victor Wembanyama and Ajay Mitchell, who share a lot of history.

Although not many people know, both Wembanyama and Mitchell were teammates back in 2019 on France’s Nanterre 92’s under-18 team. The Thunder star, a Belgian native who moved to bordering France at the age of 17 to join the team, shared the court with the towering French center. However, once both players moved to the States, they lost track of each other, only to meet in the NBA.

“He’s a guy who I kind of lost sight of after he left Nanterre,” Wembayama told The Oklahoman. “I saw him being a prospect in college basketball, but I really hadn’t heard much of him in between those two (points). But seeing him here, I’m just really proud.”

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Even though they weren’t in contact for a long time until both of them got drafted into the league, it seems they did not lose the connection, as both of them were quite happy to see each other once again.

That’s because Ajay Mitchell also shared a similar sentiment while meeting his former teammate, as he lauded him for his might presence on the court and also who Victor Wembanyama is as a person off the court. Nonetheless, while both players seem to be on the same page on the sidelines, they won’t be willing to give an inch to each other on Christmas Day when OKC meets the Spurs.