This past June, the OKC Thunder selected Michigan big man Aday Mara with the 12 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
With his size, elite defensive skills, and underrated passing chops, many are hoping he can serve as a key component to coach Mark Daigneault's frontcourt rotation, especially when going up against some of the league's juggernaut pivot options such as Nikola Jokic and, of course, Victor Wembanyama.
Fortunately, it seems All-Star Chet Holmgren is already of the belief that Mara's addition should greatly benefit OKC's on-court play, as he recently revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he's expecting the rookie to be "very impactful" and is excited to see how he specifically can help right out of the gates.
This take from the Thunder cornerstone comes as a slight breath of fresh air, as it follows recent rumblings about how Sam Presti may not have been completely sold on Mara's fit for the team heading into the draft.
Reports indicate that they even inquired about trading up one spot to snag his former Michigan teammate, Yaxel Lendeborg, before the Warriors ultimately selected him themselves.
In the end, the Thunder landed a player in Mara who, though perhaps has limitations to his game, is a proven defensive anchor with championship experience (helped lead the Wolverines to the 2026 NCAA title) who measures in at a behemoth 7-foot-3, 260-pounds.
Considering they were bounced from last year's postseason largely because of their lackluster efforts to contain rival bigs, OKC is positioning itself well to overcome such a weakness heading into 2026-27.
Thunder actively working with Aday Mara to get him prepped for season
Even while playing for Spain's FIBA team this summer, Mara has found himself double-dipping with his new NBA squad in the Thunder to help get him prepared for his upcoming rookie year.
New Thunder Athletic Performance Director, Maral Javadifar, has been spotted overseas out in Spain working with the 21-year-old to get his conditioning to a place where he can be comfortable handling the quicker style of play the NBA runs with.
This news should come to the delight of every Thunder fan, especially those who watched Mara play in this year's Summer League, where he was visibly sluggish and, on many occasions, appeared to be way over his head as far as keeping up with the quicker competition is concerned.
He would go on to be crowned as the "most disappointing rookie" to have taken part in the tournament.
With roughly a month to go before the start of training camp, it appears the Thunder are looking to catch him up to the pace of his new league.
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