Though the bench unit for this New York Knicks team may be much improved compared to their 2024-25 version, had it not been for one unfortunate draft day decision, there's a strong case to be made that their reserves could be even better.
Back during the 2024 NBA Draft, Leon Rose and company opted to select, and then subsequently trade Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell to the OKC Thunder in round two of the festivities.
The exchange netted the Knicks Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro (40 overall pick) and cash considerations, both of which are objectively of no real value to the franchise now in 2025-26 -- especially Ighodaro, who currently finds himself suiting up for the Phoenix Suns.
For Oklahoma City, the move has made the reigning champion's frightening roster depth even scarier, as Mitchell has quietly become one of the top betting favorites to win this year's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Knicks handed Thunder Ajay Mitchell for mere pennies on the dollar
According to Bet MGM, Mitchell has the second-best odds to take home the illustrious honor at +700, trailing only Miami forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
However, considering the Heat just reintroduced star Tyler Herro to the rotation following an early-season injury-induced sidelining, there's reason to believe that, as his usage declines as a result, Jaquez's standing in such ranks may gradually fall, meaning the Thunder guard could rather realistically take over the top spot for himself at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Following a solid rookie campaign where he placed fourth in three-point percentage (38.3) and first in defensive rating (100.0) among his rookie peers who saw 30 or more games played, Mitchell is off to a breakout start to his sophomore go-around out in Oklahoma City.
Logging 27.7 minutes a night, the 23-year-old is dropping career-best averages of 16.1 points, 3.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per night while shooting 46.1 percent from the field for the 17-1 Thunder.
On top of his production, what makes the sting of fumbling the opportunity to roster the likes of Mitchell even more painful is that he's currently attached to a mere three-year, $8.7 million contract, which sees a cap percentage below 2.0 percent throughout.
Having such value on their books would be a true godsend for the second-apron Knickerbockers.
To put his deal into perspective, lower-end minutes guys such as Guerschon Yabusele see a cap hit north of 3.0 percent. Even last year's first-round selection, Pacome Dadiet, has the potential to exceed the 3.0 percent mark throughout the duration of his rookie-scale deal.
Though it's well understood that hindsight is always 20/20, with every passing day, such a sentiment doesn't seem to make letting a rising stud like Ajay Mitchell fall through New York's fingertips any easier.