Patrick Ryan
October 27, 2025
DJ Mitchell
- Nationality: AUS/USA
- Date of Birth: 12/03/97
- Place of Birth: Melbourne (VIC)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 203
- Weight (KG): 98
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Wake Forest University (2016-2017) / Santa Clara (2019-21) / Santa Clara University (2019–2022)
- NBL DEBUT: 18/09/22
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 17/12/23
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 26
- NBL History: Brisbane 2023-24 | South East Melbourne 2026
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: DJ Mitchell was born in Melbourne (VIC) while his father Mike was playing with the North Melbourne Giants in the NBL. He would follow his father as he played in Germany and France before he retired and the family returned to California. There he grew up in Fresno and attended Buchanan High School in Clovis, California where he was a three-time first-team all-conference honouree with the basketball team. He was also a all-state volleyball player at Buchanan.
Due to his mother having Irish heritage through her grandparents. Mitchell also holds a Irish passport and is eligible to play for Ireland.
FAMILY: DJ Mitchell is the son of Mike Mitchell who played 176 games in the NBL. Mitchell’s mother, Michelle Maher played professional beach volleyball. He also has two siblings, Jaiden and Myca. Myca played volleyball at Wake Forest and Howard.
NBL EXPERIENCE
DJ Mitchell made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 25 years of age. He scored 12 points in his first game.
Although he was on the radars of multiple NBL team’s in 2021, he failed to earn a contract and instead spent his first season as a pro playing in the Netherlands. He then played for Gold Coast in the 2022 NBL1 with his play earning a contract from the Brisbane Bullets. The son of former Bullets import Mike Mitchell, DJ was signed by Brisbane as part of an off-season overhaul that aimed to lift the team from their second-last finish the previous year.
The Bullets entered the season with high expectations, bolstered by the addition of NBA veteran Aron Baynes and experienced guard Tyler Johnson, both of whom had played together for the Phoenix Suns. Additional recruits included Devondrick Walker (via NBL1), Harry Froling (via Illawarra), Gorjok Gak (via Europe), and Mitchell, alongside returning players Jason Cadee, Tyrell Harrison, Tanner Krebs, and captain Nathan Sobey. The off-season acquisitions prompted media predictions of a top-four finish, but questions remained about the health of Sobey and Baynes, both of whom were returning from significant injuries.
The season started poorly for Brisbane, with the team losing their first six games. While Baynes (11.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) struggled to rediscover his NBA form, and Sobey (15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists) recorded his lowest numbers in five years, Mitchell began to show glimpses of his potential. In an early-season matchup against defending champions Sydney, Mitchell recorded a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, marking one of the standout performances of his rookie season.
The Bullets turned their fortunes around with back-to-back wins against Illawarra. Baynes was instrumental in the first victory (82–56) with a 17-point, 14-rebound effort, while Sobey led the second (86–61) with 22 points in the first half, a career-high. Brisbane followed up with a narrow 74–72 win over Tasmania, securing a three-game winning streak. Mitchell played an important supporting role during this stretch, contributing energy and athleticism on both ends of the floor.
However, the momentum was short-lived. Import Devondrick Walker (9.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) was released, and head coach James Duncan was fired after a poor start. Interim coach Sam Mackinnon recorded one victory—a thrilling 106–95 overtime win against Perth—before Greg Vanderjagt took over for the remainder of the season. Brisbane’s campaign quickly spiraled, with a 37-point loss to New Zealand and a historic 49-point defeat against Sydney highlighting their struggles. Reports of internal tensions between the Bullets’ CEO and coaching staff further compounded the team’s woes.
Despite the team’s disappointing season, Mitchell continued to make valuable contributions. He scored 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a close loss to Cairns (82–90), showcasing his versatility and ability to impact the game. Over the season, Mitchell averaged 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 26 games. His athleticism, defensive intensity, and scoring ability provided glimpses of his potential as a key piece for the Bullets’ future.
Brisbane finished the season second last with an 8–20 record, three of their wins coming against Illawarra, who endured their worst season in franchise history.
2023/24
In 2023/24, DJ Mitchell continued to solidify his role in the Brisbane Bullets’ rotation, averaging 5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. His contributions were instrumental in helping Brisbane improve their record to 13–15 and secure a seventh-place finish in the standings.
SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2025/26
South East Melbourne entered NBL26 after Josh King had transformed a 0-5 start into a 16-13 record, fourth place and a semifinal appearance the previous season. Matt Hurt (to Trapani), Derrick Walton Jr. (to Holon), Joe Wieskamp (to Jena), Ben Ayre (to Tasmania), Luke Fennell (to Syracuse) and Matt Kenyon (to Adelaide) departed, while Nathan Sobey, Jordan Hunter, Angus Glover, Owen Foxwell and Malique Lewis returned. King added Akech Aliir (via Melbourne), Daniel Foster (via Nevada), Gorjok Gak (via Tasmania), Hunter Maldonado (via Ludwigsburg) and John Brown III (via Belgrade).
Mitchell signed a two-year deal with South East Melbourne, with the second season a mutual option, returning to the NBL after playing for Manchester Basketball in England. The 203cm forward filled a local roster spot through his Australian citizenship and joined his first Melbourne-based professional team in the city where he was born and where his father Mike had played for the North Melbourne Giants.
South East Melbourne opened the season at John Cain Arena on September 20, where Mitchell (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) contributed from the bench as the Phoenix defeated Cairns 114-77. Glover (18 points and 5 rebounds) and Maldonado (16 points and 5 assists) led the other scorers, while Reyne Smith (19 points and 6 rebounds) was Cairns’ best.
Mitchell (4.4 points across 31 games) provided size and perimeter shooting during 7.8 minutes per game off the bench. The season also delivered his first NBL postseason appearance after missing the finals during his two years with Brisbane.
Mitchell’s season-high 16 points first came against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on January 5, where Mitchell (16 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made four of his five three-point attempts in 13 minutes as South East Melbourne defeated the Kings 124-117 in the highest-scoring game of NBL26. Sobey (26 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Hunter (23 points) led the Phoenix, while Kendric Davis (30 points and 6 assists) was Sydney’s best as South East Melbourne improved to 15-7.
Three days later, Mitchell (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) matched his season high and provided clutch shooting during overtime as the Phoenix defeated Illawarra 124-113 at the State Basketball Centre. Sobey (37 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Glover (22 points) led South East Melbourne, while Sam Froling (22 points and 9 rebounds) was Illawarra’s best.
Wes Iwundu (11.6 points and 3.3 rebounds) (via Patras) joined after the season began and became part of the starting group. Gak (2.9 points) (to Sichuan) and Maldonado (11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals) (to Brisbane) departed during December, with Ian Clark (13.7 points) (via Santurce) signed to strengthen the bench scoring.
Sobey (22.5 points, 4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.7 steals) led the Phoenix in scoring and assists, while Hunter (11.6 points and 5.9 rebounds) remained the starting centre. Brown (10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals) anchored the defence, Foxwell (10.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals) continued his development in the backcourt, Glover (10.4 points) supplied scoring from the bench and Lewis (6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) provided athleticism on the wing. Sobey and Brown were selected to the All-NBL First Team, Brown won the Damian Martin Trophy as Defensive Player of the Year and Glover received the NBL Sixth Man of the Year award.
South East Melbourne closed the regular season against Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on February 19, where Mitchell (0 points and 1 rebound) played 1:47 as the Phoenix lost 95-91. Sobey (29 points and 7 rebounds) and Iwundu (17 points and 4 rebounds) led South East Melbourne, while Milton Doyle (25 points) was United’s best as the Phoenix finished a franchise-high third with a 22-11 record.
The Phoenix opened the postseason against Perth at John Cain Arena on March 4, where Mitchell (1 point and 3 rebounds) played 3:47 in a 111-94 win. Sobey (24 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals), Foxwell (18 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) and Clark (16 points) led South East Melbourne, while Kristian Doolittle (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Dylan Windler (13 points, 7 assists, and 2 blocks) were best for Perth.
Game one of the semifinals was played at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on March 10, where Mitchell did not take the court. Sobey (23 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals), Hunter (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block) and Glover (14 points and 4 rebounds) led South East Melbourne, but Bryce Cotton (42 points and 5 assists), Dejan Vasiljevic (17 points) and Nick Rakocevic (14 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block) carried Adelaide to a 104-97 win.
Game two moved to John Cain Arena, where Mitchell again did not play as South East Melbourne recovered from an 18-point deficit to win 101-92 and force a deciding game. Sobey (41 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists), Brown (12 points and 7 rebounds) and Glover (10 points and 3 rebounds) led the Phoenix, while Cotton (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Rakocevic (18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Vasiljevic (14 points) were best for Adelaide.
Game three returned to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on March 17, where Clark (32 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Sobey (17 points and 8 assists) led South East Melbourne, while Cotton (38 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists), Vasiljevic (27 points and 4 assists) and Rakocevic (14 points and 12 rebounds) carried Adelaide to a 108-96 win. Mitchell (8 points and 2 rebounds) scored all eight points during a late fourth-quarter burst and played 8:06 minutes in the loss.
DJ Mitchell currently plays for the South East Melbourne Phoenix and has played 73 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1 assists since entering the league in 2022.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 29 | South East Melbourne | 22-11 (3) | 31 | 240.4 | 137 | 60 | 23 | 25 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 49 | 46 | 119 | 39% | 22 | 67 | 33% | 23 | 28 | 82% | 52% | 48% | 16 |
| 2023-24 | 27 | Brisbane | 13-15 (7) | 15 | 229.7 | 75 | 44 | 14 | 7 | 37 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 33 | 29 | 57 | 51% | 13 | 30 | 43% | 4 | 6 | 67% | 63% | 62% | 16 |
| 2022-23 | 26 | Brisbane | 8-20 (9) | 27 | 642.5 | 258 | 123 | 36 | 24 | 99 | 11 | 8 | 41 | 76 | 95 | 203 | 47% | 36 | 81 | 44% | 32 | 36 | 89% | 59% | 56% | 21 | Totals | 73 | 1113 | 470 | 227 | 73 | 56 | 171 | 24 | 17 | 67 | 158 | 170 | 379 | 44.9% | 71 | 178 | 39.9% | 59 | 70 | 84.3% | 57% | 54% | 21 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 29 | South East Melbourne | 22-11 (3) | 31 | 7.8 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 39% | 0.7 | 2.2 | 33% | 0.7 | 0.9 | 82% | 52% | 48% | 16 |
| 2023-24 | 27 | Brisbane | 13-15 (7) | 15 | 15.3 | 5.0 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 51% | 0.9 | 2.0 | 43% | 0.3 | 0.4 | 67% | 63% | 62% | 16 |
| 2022-23 | 26 | Brisbane | 8-20 (9) | 27 | 23.8 | 9.6 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 47% | 1.3 | 3.0 | 44% | 1.2 | 1.3 | 89% | 59% | 56% | 21 | Total | 73 | 15.2 | 6.4 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 44.9% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.9% | 1.0 | 2.4 | 84.3% | 57% | 54% | 21 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 21 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Gold Coast 2022 | Ipswich 2024-25
DJ Mitchell played for the Gold Coast Rollers in 2022, helping the team secure the NBL1 North Conference championship.
In 2025, Mitchell signed with the Ipswich Force in NBL1 North after earning a roster spot with South East Melbourne Phoenix for the upcoming NBL season.
At Ipswich, he formed a dynamic duo with fellow NBL player Lamar Patterson, with the pair regularly proving unstoppable.
One of their standout performances came in a dominant win over Cairns, where Patterson delivered (34 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists) while Mitchell added (31 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists) in one of the team’s signature victories of the season.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Netherlands - Basketball Academie Limburg (2021–2022) | Poland - Śląsk Wrocław (2023) | England - Manchester Basketball (2024–2025)
Mitchell spent his first pro season playing in the Netherlands in 2021/22 with Basketball Academie Limburg in the BNXT League after signing on October 15, 2021, and he averaged 16.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, with the same season stat line listing 22 games at 30.6 minutes per game, 2.8 assists per game, and 39.6% from three-point range while sharing the roster with imports and locals that included Chris Hudson, Noah Dahlman and Roel Van Overbeek.
In Poland, Mitchell joined Śląsk Wrocław on February 6, 2023 on a deal through the end of the season, and in league play he appeared in 22 games and averaged 5.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, while he also featured in four EuroCup games during the same stint.
Played for Manchester in the BBL during the 2024/25 season, signing with Manchester Basketball on September 25, 2024, and there he averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, with season logs crediting him with 33 games and per-game marks of 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks while playing alongside teammates that included Isaih Moore, Makai Ashton-Langford, Ian DuBose and Louis Weaver.
COLLEGE
DJ Mitchell began his college career at Wake Forest University, spending two seasons with the Demon Deacons from 2016–17 to 2017–18 as a reserve forward developing within an ACC program.
As a freshman during the 2016–17 season, Mitchell appeared in four games, all off the bench, gaining limited minutes as he adjusted to the college level.
His role expanded as a sophomore in 2017–18, when he played in 30 games, again exclusively as a reserve, averaging 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 48.4 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range, with his best offensive outing coming against UNC Greensboro on November 24 when he scored a career-high 10 points.
On April 30, 2018, Mitchell transferred to Santa Clara University and subsequently sat out the 2018–19 season due to NCAA transfer regulations, preserving a year of eligibility while integrating into the Broncos program.
As a redshirt junior in the 2019–20 season, Mitchell played in all 33 games for Santa Clara with 15 starts, ranking third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field, finishing second on the roster in both three-point percentage at 38.3 percent and rebounding at 5.2 per game.
That season included the most productive performance of his college career on February 29, 2020, when he scored a career-high 25 points against Portland, highlighting his increased offensive responsibility within Santa Clara’s rotation.
Mitchell completed his college career with the Broncos during the 2020–21 season, appearing in 18 games with five starts and averaging 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as he provided frontcourt depth and experience in West Coast Conference play.
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