Ajay Mitchell Rises to No. 2 in Sixth Man of the Year Odds
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell has climbed to the second-shortest price for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, according to ESPN BET’s latest board released on Nov. 12.
The rookie reserve is listed at +750, trailing only Miami Heat swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr. (+425) and ahead of New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes (+1000).
Early production fuels move
Through his first 12 appearances, mostly off the bench, Mitchell is averaging 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 28.3 minutes. He has also contributed 1.8 steals and 1.3 made three-pointers per game.
An injury-hit Thunder roster pushed the 22-year-old into the starting lineup last week. With Aaron Wiggins, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Nikola Topic and Kenrich Williams sidelined, Mitchell’s first four starts produced upticks to 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 threes in 31.3 minutes.
Under ESPN’s fantasy basketball scoring system, those numbers translate to 33.8 fantasy points per game. Only one Sixth Man winner in the past decade—Lou Williams in 2018 (34.5)—finished a season with a higher fantasy average. Last season’s winner, Payton Pritchard, posted 29.7.
Potential minutes crunch ahead
Analyst Dr. André Snellings notes that Mitchell’s workload could shrink once Oklahoma City’s perimeter rotation is healthy. Jalen Williams, expected back later this month, along with starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort plus key reserves Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe, complicate Mitchell’s path to sustained minutes.
Comparing top contenders
Current favorite Jaquez is averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists, good for 38.0 fantasy points. The Heat anticipate only Tyler Herro returning from injury later in the calendar year, and Jaquez’s ability to play three positions could help preserve his floor time.
Snellings calls Mitchell “worth a flyer” at +750 but considers Jaquez the stronger wager given production and roster context. The race, he adds, could shift as the 82-game season unfolds.
Source: ESPN
