The OKC Thunder have played poorly to start the NBA Summer League, and no one on the team has received more scrutiny than lottery pick Aday Mara. The 7-foot-3 giant has produced a handful of underwhelming performances and has looked outmatched by smaller bigs at times.
While the games mean little in the way of determining career success, he has given Thunder fans little reason to believe he can make a significant contribution as soon as this season.
Such a conclusion could open the door for an uncomfortable conversation that the coaching staff may need to have before it's too late.
Back on June 23, it seemed that selecting Aday Mara would shore up OKC's struggles below the rim during the postseason. The projected "Wemby stopper" arrived with lofty expectations, but has yet to cash in on those hopes.
Now, the Thunder are faced with yet another jumble of candidates to back up starting center Isaiah Hartenstein if Mara can't do the job.
Thunder back to square one with depth chart conversations
Seemingly forgotten big man Jaylin Williams still resides on the Thunder roster. While he comes with obvious athletic limitations, he produced valuable minutes for the team and played a larger role in the 2026 postseason than he did in previous playoff runs.
Thomas Sorber has yet to play in an NBA game, though he hasn't lost any of the eye-popping qualities that made OKC use a first-round pick on him just last year.
His knack for defense, horaltic wingspan, and uncanny floor vision make him a legitimate candidate to earn minutes below the rim this season.
While Holmgren is viewed as more of a power forward at this point in his career, he still received his share of minutes at center last year, and his time at the five is something worth monitoring with the growing list of big men on the roster.
Thunder would be handcuffed if Aday Mara doesn't progress as planned
Mara's continued disappointment could mean the Thunder might find themselves transactionally hindered. General manager Sam Presti is most likely not done making moves this offseason and is expected to shed another portion of the team's payroll in order to get under the second apron.
If Mara and Sorber were to show rapid progression, Williams would be a prime candidate to be shipped away. Shedding his salary could achieve Presti's goal without sacrificing any sort of on-court production. But if the two young bigs show they are incapable of doing the job, then Williams becomes essential, and Presti will be forced to find yet another way to skin the cat.
It's clear that the Thunder are banking on their new skyscraper to show signs that he is ready to take on a workload this season. If he is unable to do so, then the Thunder could find themselves constrained in a way they never expected.
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