Mark Mitchell has chosen college basketball over an NBA training-camp opportunity, re-enrolling at Missouri after going undrafted in 2026 and playing for the Denver Nuggets in Summer League.
NBC Sports reported that Mitchell was expected to join Denver’s training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, which would have included a bonus if he joined the Nuggets’ G League affiliate. Instead, Mitchell has returned to Missouri and is pursuing what would be a disputed fifth college season. He had previously been expected to transfer to Kentucky.
Mitchell’s decision gives Missouri a proven frontcourt scorer after he averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 33 games during the 2025-26 season. He shot 54.7% from the field, 38.8% from three-point range and 66.9% from the free-throw line.
The 6-foot-8 forward significantly increased his offensive production in his final listed college season. His scoring average rose from 13.9 points in 2024-25 to 18.3, while his field-goal percentage improved from 50.5% to 54.7%.
Mitchell also became a more productive passer and rebounder. He averaged 3.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26, compared with 1.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds the previous season.
His college career began at Duke, where Mitchell averaged 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds as a freshman in 2022-23. He improved to 11.6 points and 6.0 rebounds as a sophomore before transferring to Missouri.
Across 134 college games, including 133 starts, Mitchell averaged 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 51.8% from the field. His career three-point percentage was 32.1%, although he connected on 38.8% of his attempts during his 2025-26 Missouri season.
Mitchell’s NBA opportunity with Denver came after he went undrafted. He appeared in four Summer League games for the Nuggets, averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 16.1 minutes per game.
His Summer League shooting numbers were considerably below his college production. Mitchell shot 35.7% from the field and 25.0% from three-point range, although he made 83.3% of his free throws.
