Early signs show that the OKC Thunder may have actually landed themselves a truly dominant interior force in Aday Mara, who can do the nitty-gritty things like rebound, defend the rim, and set hard screens at truly elite levels.
Such qualities will be an immense help for this ball club when at full strength.
However, in the meantime, with studs like Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace all out for the foreseeable future due to injuries, snatching up a guy like Yaxel Lendeborg in this past June's NBA Draft certainly would have been more beneficial for Oklahoma City here in 2026-27.
Leading into the draft, the Thunder were very interested in selecting Lendeborg if he were to fall to them at 14 overall. On the night, reports are that they even tried to trade up for his services, though ultimately, the Warriors opted to decline their attempts and took him at 13.
Now, while no one could have expected the devastating number of injuries OKC would endure to start this year's campaign, it goes without saying that Lenderborg would have been the ultimate weapon to unleash during these trying times.
Yaxel Lenderborg would have been ideal talent for hobbled Thunder
In the wake of Jalen Williams (ankle), Cason Wallace (shoulder), and Chet Holmgren's (knee) recent injuries, the Thunder find themselves in desperate need of three things: offensive creators, lengthy defensive contributors, and wing depth.
Someone like Lenderborg could have addressed all of these particular categories on his own.
One of the leading favorites to take home this year's Rookie of the Year, the Michigan standout is off to a phenomenal start out in Golden State.
Through eight games played, the forward is posting stellar averages of 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep while being tied for second on the team in total blocks with four.
From his footwork and quick first step to his smooth shooting stroke and electrifying athleticism, Lendeborg is quickly establishing himself as the second option in the scoring department alongside Stephen Curry.
Considering the injury-ravaged Thunder are struggling mightily on the offensive end by ranking 25 in points per game (108.0), 24 in field goal percentage (43.8), 26 in three-point percentage (32.0), and rank in just the first percentile in points per 100 possessions (97.7) with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander off the floor, it's safe to say that even though they may be ecstatic for what the future holds for the likes of Mara, they would have benefited mightily from having a guy like Lenderborg so far this season.
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