The Oklahoma City Thunder are in pursuit of their second consecutive NBA championship, but some painful roster decisions are on the horizon, including what to do with Ajay Mitchell. The Chicago Bulls could make that call easy for them and swing a trade to acquire the 23-year-old rising star.
Mitchell went from promising role player to crucial playoff contributor this season, averaging 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in nearly 26 minutes per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. He finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The UC Santa Barbara product is one of the NBA's most attractive emerging playmakers. And that's exactly the kind of piece the Bulls should be trying to acquire.
The Thunder's roster crunch could force a difficult Ajay Mitchell choice
Why would the Oklahoma City Thunder ever trade Ajay Mitchell? Fair question. More than fair, actually.
The simple and envious answer is that they have too many good players and not enough minutes available for all of them. Mitchell may become one of the casualties of this situation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is locked into a massive contract that runs through 2029-30 and includes a $75.6 million player option for 2030-31. Chet Holmgren's deal is just as long. So too is Jalen Williams'. Former Bull Alex Caruso is under contract through 2028-29.
Thunder executive VP of basketball operations and GM Sam Presti will also have to make decisions on several key guards in Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Jared McCain. No one feels sorry for Presti, but some tough calls are coming down the pike.
That's where the Bulls come in.
Bulls should aggressively pursue Ajay Mitchell if he becomes available
Presti may choose to keep Mitchell and instead sell high on Wallace, Dort or even Jalen Williams. But Chicago's new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham could — and arguably should — make Presti an offer he can't refuse.
Josh Giddey's future in the Windy City is in flux. He's a good point guard on a good contract, but he's not untouchable. Tre Jones is on a bargain deal and is a solid floor general, but he's not a long-term answer. The Bulls are far from set at Mitchell's position.
If there are even whispers he's on the market, Graham should pounce.
With all of its own first-round picks available to trade, as well as 12 second-rounders over the next seven seasons, Chicago has the assets to pique Oklahoma City's interest. And the Bulls are in fantastic shape financially, so the lure of a hefty payday from a team ready to guarantee a starring role would presumably appeal to Mitchell.
These are the moves Graham should be hunting as he tries to rebuild a flailing organization.
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