The San Antonio Spurs are expected to run the NBA for the next several seasons, and one of their top rivals already made a move, clearly with them in mind.
Even after losing the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, the San Antonio Spurs are expected to be the NBA's best team for the next several seasons.
With a core of Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, the Spurs dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the regular season and then upset them in seven games in the Western Conference Finals.
The Spurs and Thunder are projected to be the two best teams in the NBA moving forward, and the Spurs clearly already have a leg up. In an effort to get back on top, the Thunder used the 2026 NBA Draft to get someone specifically to stop Wembanyama.
Or at least slow him down.
READ MORE: Complete San Antonio Spurs' NBA Draft Grades
Thunder's Aday Mara Tasked With Stopping Wemby
Despite coming off his first All-Star season, Chet Holmgren is not the answer for OKC.
In the regular season, he posted an impressive 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds. In the Conference Finals, his efficiency plummeted, and his production fell to 10.7 points and 7.1 boards.
With the 12th overall pick, the Thunder scooped up Michigan's Aday Mara, a 7-3 center who might be the draft's best Wemby stopper. In Ann Arbor, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.
He expects that production to carry over to the NBA.
"Obviously, Wemby is a great player," Mara gushed at his media availability. "It will be a huge challenge, but I am looking forward to it. I guess whatever the coach says, if I have to try to stop him, I have to try. I'm ready, I don't know how yet, but I'm ready."
With Isaiah Hartenstein possibly on the trade block, the Thunder will have to use a young and skinny duo to slow Wembanyama down. Of course, Thomas Sorber is recovering from his torn ACL and is expected to make his debut next season.
The Spurs are in OKC's head. Rent free, as the kids say. The fact that the Thunder burned a premier pick (Mara is a very good player, don't get me wrong) on someone whose only job is to slow down one player on one team shows just how dominant the Spurs are expected to be.
Wembanyama relishes going up against Holmgren and the Thunder. Maybe he can make an enemy out of Mara, too.
