The Oklahoma City Thunder surprised many when, instead of dealing out any of their three selections in the 2026 NBA Draft for future draft capital, they held onto all three picks— taking Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz, and Otega Oweh.
Stirtz and Oweh, as potentially capable two-way contributors on the wing, both have clear fits on the roster in an immediate sense, even if their minutes could be limited during their rookie campaigns. But while Mara's fit is clear in the long-term if you want to chart an optimistic trajectory for his development, it's difficult to see how he gets on the court as a rookie for Oklahoma City.
At 7'3" and 240 lbs, Mara's upside as a defensive presence alongside Chet Holmgren is clear. But he averaged just 23.4 minutes per game in his final college season at Michigan. During Summer League, he often looked winded and ineffective when he was left on the court for long stretches.
With Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Thomas Sorber, and even Jaylin Williams still available at the position, will the Thunder be willing to let Mara spend most of his rookie campaign on the bench? Or, as unconventional as it might be, is letting him spend time in the G-League their best move for his development?
The best place for Aday Mara is likely the G-League— if the Thunder are willing to take that step
There's virtually no one denying Mara's long-term upside at this point. He was a central offensive and defensive factor for the best team in college basketball last season, averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 66.8% from the floor across 40 games with Michigan. He has high upside as a playmaker for a big man, and his interior game, while relatively unpolished, is formidable.
But where his obvious value comes across is as a shot deterrent in the paint. He has a massive, 7'6" wingspan, and he's relatively mobile for his size. Although he might not be a switchable defender in the long-term, he could be the presence the Thunder need to continue to contend within the increasingly size-oriented Western Conference.
The concerns about his conditioning, however, are real. Mara was on a relatively clear minutes limit at Michigan, and you could visibly see him becoming less effective on both ends of the floor when his rotations were stretched by the circumstances of games. His 23.4 minutes, moreover, were a career high— he averaged 9.6 and 13.1 minutes, respectively, across his two seasons as a backup big at UCLA.
If Oklahoma City wants Mara to develop in his feel for the game and his physical reliability, the G-League is likely the best way to give him that opportunity.
It's not an unprecedented move on a league-wide scale, but it is relatively rare for lottery picks to spend more than a few games at that level during their rookie campaigns. Ousmane Dieng spent nine games there during his rookie season before playing 26 during his sophomore campaign. Johnny Davis, the 10th overall pick of the Washington Wizards in the 2022 NBA Draft, spent 19 games with the Capital City Go-Go during his rookie season.
It would be unconventional, but given how deep Oklahoma City currently is at the position, it may be Mara's best route to getting the reps he needs in 2026-27.
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