Michigan center Aday Mara is the third Wolverine to be drafted in the 2026 lottery, coming off the board at No. 12 to the Thunder.
Mara, who spent his first two college seasons at UCLA, transferred to Michigan for his junior year and played a major role in the Wolverines’ national championship season. After coming off the bench for the Bruins as a freshman and sophomore, Mara was a full-time starter in Ann Arbor, averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.4 assists in 23.4 minutes per game while shooting 66.8% from the floor.
A 7’3″ native of Spain, Mara was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year this spring and was the Wolverines’ standout player in a Final Foul victory over Arizona, racking up a season-high 26 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
After coming to Michigan, Mara displayed impressive passing skills, often getting the team’s transition play going with a well-delivered outlet pass. He also has shown flashes of shooting ability, though he will likely require a good amount of work before the shot is a real weapon.
Mara saw his stock rise during the pre-draft process, which coincided with Victor Wembanyama leading the Spurs to a spot in the NBA Finals. Mara’s size makes him an intriguing option to attempt to combat Wembanyama and the rest of the league’s most skilled big men.
The Thunder currently have something of a logjam at the big man position, with Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, and rookie Thomas Sorber, who didn’t play this year as he recovered from a torn ACL. They also hold a team option on Isaiah Hartenstein. While the team is looking to shed salary this summer, Hartenstein and Williams were both important parts of the Thunder’s depth during this year’s playoff run.
Mara gives the team a giant on the inside who should be an elite rim protector and finisher around the rim. The biggest questions facing him will be his foot speed guarding in space and whether he can handle playing big NBA minutes consistently, though the Thunder’s depth should make the latter issue less of a pressing concern.
This pick marks the last asset the Thunder will recoup from the 2019 Paul George trade with the Clippers.
