Former UCSB Men’s Basketball star Ajay Mitchell was drafted No. 38 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2nd Round of the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 27.
Although the pick was made by the New York Knicks, he will be heading to the Thunder as part of a trade.
Mitchell was a decorated player as a Gaucho, and he will now showcase his talents at the highest level.
He is the first UCSB Gaucho drafted since Orlando Johnson in the 2012 NBA Draft.
The OKC Thunder are among the most exciting teams in the NBA, featuring young stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
While the team is young, they finished the regular season as the top seed in a gauntlet of a Western Conference in 2024 and won their opening-round playoff matchup against the Pelicans.
Mitchell will look to make his way into the core of strong Thunder players in the coming years as the organization hopes to step into the upper echelon of NBA teams.
In his three years at UCSB, Mitchell cemented his legacy at No. 10 on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,463 points.
He was a member of the All-Big West First Team for the past two seasons, including a Big West Player of the Year honor for the 2022-23 season.
In his final year in Isla Vista, Mitchell averaged 20 points and four assists while shooting 50.4% from the field despite playing through ankle injuries.
While his time as a Gaucho elevated him to the level of NBA prospect, Mitchell’s strong performance at the NBA Combine in May.
At the combine in Chicago, he averaged 7.0 points and 4.5 assists in two scrimmages and tested well in his measurements.
Mitchell will now likely play in the NBA Summer League for the Thunder from July 12 through July 22. From there, he will either join the NBA club or compete in the G-League to open his career.