Aday Mara went No. 12 in the 2026 NBA draft to the team he had talked to the least.
The 21-year-old center, introduced to Oklahoma City media after the Thunder picked him, said the pre-draft process barely involved them. “Not really. I didn’t have a lot of contact with them. It was more of an agent thing,” Mara said. “I guess it was a little surprising. But I’m happy to be in this program.”
His only direct exposure was the combine interview, and he thought it went well. “I didn’t do anything with OKC,” he said. “That’s why it was surprising to me.”
The pick itself was not a shock on paper. Mara had been mocked in the lottery range all through the process, and the Thunder were among the teams commonly linked to him. He was still caught off guard when his name was called.
From UCLA to a national title
Mara spent two uneven years at UCLA before transferring to Michigan, where his game took off. He and frontcourt partners Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg helped the Wolverines win the national championship, and the trio went 37-3. At 7-foot-3, Mara anchored the defense and gave opposing scorers second thoughts about attacking the rim. On offense he piled up second-chance points. By the end of March Madness he was a household name.
Fit in Oklahoma City
He will spend about nine months a year there now. The Thunder hope he can help stretch their championship window, and the picture some observers draw has him eventually replacing Isaiah Hartenstein and pairing with Chet Holmgren in a double-big look later in the decade. Oklahoma City arrived at its current position through general manager Sam Presti’s rebuild negotiations, which brought lottery picks from other franchises.
Mara has already scouted the surroundings. At Michigan he went fishing with teammates, and he has heard Oklahoma has a few lakes. “I like to play golf. Hopefully, they have courses,” he said. “I like outside activities.”
