OKC Thunder to Ink Ajay Mitchell to Two-Way Pact

The Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to ink Ajay Mitchell to a two-way pact after selecting the guard No. 38 in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Mar 17, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; UC Santa Barbara Gauchos guard Ajay Mitchell (13) signals to teammates during the first half against Baylor Bears in the first round of the 2023 NCAA men s basketball tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports / Michael Ciaglo-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a chain of trades on Thursday to get into and move up in the second round in the first-ever two-day format. Clearly searching for ways to catapult up boards to grab UC Santa Barbra product Ajay Mitchell.

A 6-foot-3 guard with a 6-foot-6 wingspan is an electrifying three-level scorer who understands how to use his athleticism, shift gears and get to the free-throw line. A bonafide bucket-getter with the passing chops to hurt the defense who can't help but give Mitchell attention.

Mitchell fits the Thunder's style of play like a glove and despite walking into the 2024 NBA Draft with just one selection and four open roster spots, they left with three prospects. Nikola Topic (Pick No. 12) and Dillon Jones (Pick No. 26) are locked for guaranteed contracts under the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

However, in the second round that is where teams earn flexibility - most structure pacts at the top of the second round similar to a first-round rookie-scale deal with the caveat being opt. outs and non-guaranteed money - While other prospects ink two-way deals to eventually work their way to a standard roster spot.

The Thunder have a long history with two-way success - notably on their roster is Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins who went that path, after just flipping Lindy Waters III in a trade to net Mitchell who was on a two-way contract for three straight seasons.

At Saturday's Rookie Introductory press conference, Thunder top executive Sam Presti revealed Mitchell would be placed on a two-way contract allowing him to play in up to 50 NBA games and bounce back and forth between the Thunder and the Oklahoma City Blue.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.