Towering over the paint with elite rim protection and surprising playmaking vision, this lottery pick offers a unique defensive anchor for Oklahoma City’s championship-caliber rotation.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have arguably the deepest and most talented roster in the NBA.
But one of the less talked about aspects of Oklahoma City's roster is the underrated foursome of young lottery level talent that has yet to be unlocked. In this four part Roundtable series, we will take a closer look at each of those four Thunder prospects. Next up, Aday Mara.
Aday Mara.
21 years old.
Center.
7'3" (barefoot!). 260 pounds. 7'6" wingspan.
Draft Pedigree: Thanks to the continuous generosity of the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City once again held a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft despite winning 64 games and having the #1 overall seed. While there were some rumblings that Mara might go in the top 10 picks, Thunder picked the Michigan big man at #12 overall.
Biggest Strength: This may come as a shock, but the dude who is two inches taller than Chet Holmgren is really good at protecting the paint. Mara uses his extraordinary size and length to block shots, alter shots and dissuade shots. Rim protection is clearly top of the list, but I can't write about the NCAA champion's strengths without mentioning his passing. The towering big man has serious playmaking skills and it's what separates him from the prototypical shot blocking center.
Biggest Question Mark: The Spaniard's elite defensive skills in the paint should translate seamlessly to the NBA, but there is some concern about his ability to switch out to the perimeter. Mara, like most men of his size not named Chet Holmgren or Victor Wembanyama, struggles with lateral quickness, mobility and foot speed. The Thunder defense is built upon the fact that almost every player on the floor has the ability to switch and guard up and down the lineup. Ideally, the OKC defensive infrastructure, his elite defensive teammates and his high basketball IQ and processing will cover up any of the issues he might have on that end.
Potential Role in 2026-2027: OKC has a deep and talented big man room with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, Thomas Sorber and Mara. Obviously the two starters and Williams will absorb the majority of the power forward/center minutes. But to dip back into the running theme of these young prospect entries, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will find minutes for the former Wolverine. Maybe Mara and Sorber rotate backup center minutes on a game to game basis. Potentially, one or both of them force their way into the regular rotation. It's possible Mara gets sent to the OKC Blue squad periodically. But he will play for the Thunder this season.
