The Phoenix Suns have begun the new NBA season brightly, with an impressive comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings the ideal way for head coach Jordan Ott to begin his tenure in The Valley. To achieve this while rebuilding their roster around Devin Booker - who is once again doing it all - is even sweeter for the Suns.
But when it comes to guys they could have had on the roster to help speed up this process, second round draft pick Toumani Camara will always be the one that got away. Then there are the unexpected picks that worked out elsewhere, and who the Suns themselves once had a chance to select. That is always a fun exercise, and there's another name to add to the list.
Ajay Mitchell would have been perfect fit for the Suns.
Sophomore guard Ajay Mitchell wasn't spoken about much coming into this season, and with good reason. The Belgian did play 36 times for the Oklahoma City Thunder as a rookie - with a single start - but that team is so stacked that it was hard for Mitchell to make any noise. His moment came in the Thunder's overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers, as he poured in a career high 26 points.
The OKC scouting department and front office deserve their flowers because Ajay Mitchell is a GEM
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 24, 2025
Constantly finding gems like him in the late 1st and early 2nd is the key to extending their title window and dynasty because it helps with cap navigation pic.twitter.com/dCRl8pAHfC
Although the Suns have more depth than you'd think in the backcourt - thanks in large part because they traded Kevin Durant for Jalen Green - guys like Mitchell are hard to find in the second round of the NBA Draft. The Suns already did their own version of this in selecting Oso Ighodaro, who in his second year started for the team against the Kings.
Back to Mitchell, and his fit next to both Green and Devin Booker would have made a ton of sense. If anything it is more impressive he didn't score any of his points from deep - he missed all three attempts - instead going a perfect 8-of-8 from the line while using a series of pump fakes and clever moves to get into the paint.
The offensive explosion is what caught the eye, but defensively Mitchell doesn't look out of place on the best team in the league on that end of the court. If he could make even a small improvement there, then the sky really is the limit for him. With the Suns having moved away from contention, Mitchell would have had the chance to blossom into an elite scorer in The Valley.
Unfortunately as a result of chasing a title with Durant and Bradley Beal in tow, the organization missed out not only on the likes of Mitchell, they also gave away Camara as well. A painful lesson, particularly given the front office have actually done a nice job of identifying talent in the draft in recent years. Ajay Mitchell, what might have been.