2025 Summer League thoughts: What Ajay Mitchell, others did to stand out

Usually, the NBA champion has little to look forward to in the Summer League. With low draft picks, they spent the two-week extravaganza rewatching playoff highlights on their way to the Larry O'Brien trophy. But the Oklahoma City Thunder remain an exception to the rule.

The Thunder had a productive Summer League. They played eight games in Utah and Las Vegas. Nikola Topic's debut after sitting out last season recovering from a torn ACL was worth the watch. The Thunder lost to the Charlotte Hornets in the playoff semifinal.

Reflecting on the 2025 Summer League one last time, let's give one quick thought for the 16 players that suited up. Thunder Wire will divide the entries into three separate articles:

Ajay Mitchell

A couple of weeks removed from playing in the NBA Finals, Mitchell entered the Summer League as a player who knew he was too good to be there. The 23-year-old was the Thunder's undisputed top scorer. He averaged over 20 points and constantly drove to the rim.

You have to be encouraged by the free-throw numbers. Mitchell received plenty of calls at the Summer League. That's always the next step of a scorer. If he can carry that over to the regular season, he has a real chance to pen himself into the rotation and stick out from other bench players.

Branden Carlson

After missing time from an ankle sprain, Carlson suited up for the Thunder's final three Summer League games. It didn't take long for the two-way player to dominate the competition. He averaged 15 points and six rebounds. The seven-footer used his size to finish inside and knocked down his catch-and-shoot looks.

Carlson is the perfect player to have on your two-way deal. The 26-year-old can stretch the floor in a minimized NBA role. In the G League, he can put up numbers and destroy the competition. Easy to see why they brought him back on a two-way deal.

Chris Youngblood

Speaking of two-way deals, Youngblood made a strong case for the Thunder to give him the final spot. The 23-year-old was the best of the undrafted rookie bunch. As the event progressed, he gained more minutes and even received starts.

The outside shot is his bread and butter. Youngblood shot 52% from 3 on five attempts at Vegas. The numbers are eye-popping, but the type of outside attempts he took was also impressive. He took catch-and-shoot looks but also created off the dribble. He was an active movement shooter. His quick release gave him plenty of spice on his attempts.

Zack Austin

While he was in the rotation, Austin didn't have an impact. He was given a start but didn't do much with it. The stats weren't pretty, but it's tough to take much away from them with such a small sample. Maybe he showed enough in the predraft process to stick around.

Austin went undrafted out of Pittsburgh. He could try to get a G League spot elsewhere, but tough to see the Blue sign him from the little he showed in the Summer League. Let's see what the rest of the offseason looks like for him.

Maddy Sissoko

Given the first few starts because Carlson was out, Sissoko struggled to take advantage of the opportunity. Instead, foul trouble was what he was most known for. Which isn't great considering the Summer League allows players to commit 10 fouls.

Sissoko is an undersized center. He's also not athletic enough to overcome that. That puts him in an awkward tweener spot. It was a subpar Summer League for the undrafted rookie. He saw his playing time dwindle by the end of the event.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2025 Summer League thoughts: What Ajay Mitchell, others did at event