Mark Daigneault 'happy' to see Ajay Mitchell named as NBA Rising Star

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At the very least, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have a couple of players participate in the 2026 NBA All-Star weekend. Everybody knows about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but he will be joined by Ajay Mitchell.

Mitchell was named a Rising Star. The four-team tournament consists of three teams made up of rookie and second-year players and a fourth team made up of G League players. The Friday event is to showcase the type of future talent the NBA may have on its hands.

Mitchell will play for Tracy McGrady's team. His six teammates are Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Alex Sarr, Cam Spencer, Jaylon Tyson and Kel'el Ware.

It shouldn't be a shocker to see Mitchell part of the weekend festivities. The 23-year-old has skyrocketed OKC's rotation. He's averaged 14.1 points on 48.7% shooting, 3.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds. The Thunder have seen their second unit lineups manned by him.

“Really happy for him. He would’ve been in that game last year had he not gotten hurt," Daigneault said. "He was certainly on that trajectory."

Out of OKC's entire roster, Mitchell has made the largest leap. A toe injury last season essentially ended his rookie campaign. He had a strong start as he earned the backup guard minutes. By the time he returned, the playoffs were around the corner. He was mostly out of the postseason rotation.

"For him to be acknowledged in that way, we’re incredibly happy for him," Daigneault said. "He's a great team guy. Hardworker. Is doing all the right things from a program standpoint. He's obviously had a huge impact on the floor. Anytime that gets reinforcement in any way, we're happy for the guys."

Mark Daigneault on Ajay Mitchell being named a Rising Star: “Really happy for him. He would’ve been in that game last year had he not gotten hurt. He was certainly on that trajectory… For him to be acknowledged in that way, we’re incredibly happy for him.” pic.twitter.com/gvBZCCCQpp

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) January 27, 2026

Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady drafted their seven-player teams tonight for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars, selecting from a pool of 21 NBA rookies and sophomores.

Austin Rivers will serve as honorary coach for the NBA G League team.

Complete rosters pic.twitter.com/rb27MzX30b

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 28, 2026

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Mark Daigneault 'happy' to see Ajay Mitchell named as NBA Rising Star

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