Serving as the headliner for the Oklahoma City Thunder's Summer League struggles is their 2026 lottery pick, Aday Mara.
Mara, already 21 years old and with plenty of college experience, made many Thunder fans assume his combination of size and experience would make for a seamless NBA transition.
This has not been the case.
The reigning National Champion has had consistent issues in Summer League, including a lack of aggression on offense, inconsistent rim protection, and an inability to keep up.
These problems may seem like glaring red flags, but at the forefront of all of these struggles is Mara's lack of motor.
However, this concern shouldn't last long. Come the regular season, his reduced role will significantly help shield this weakness, and seeing him log spurts of minutes rather than serving in a starting role will maximize his current capabilities for OKC.
Thunder Summer League team bringing out the worst in Aday Mara
During Michigan's championship run, Mara only played 23.4 minutes per game. This lower number is for good reason, as his size and stamina make big-time minutes difficult to sustain.
In Summer League, he's actually seeing an increased workload, playing nearly 25 minutes per game while seeing an uptick in offensive activity.
In college, despite his clear offensive skills, the team was more than talented enough to rely on other players, such as fellow first-round picks Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr.
On this wretched winless OKC Summer League roster, Mara has an exponential offensive load as a playmaker and post-up player, while still being the defensive anchor.
At this point in his career, he is simply not capable of taking on all those on-court responsibilities, as displayed through his play. With these burdens, Mara has posted a bland stat sheet, averaging just 8.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, along with 1.0 blocks and 3.0 turnovers.
This lack of impact is largely due to his loss of energy, which quickly makes him unable to be an aggressive creator or protector of the paint.
Luckily, this high-end usage will soon disappear for Mara, and his potential will have the opportunity to be truly maximized.
Thunder depth gives Aday Mara his perfect role
Though he was picked 12 overall, Aday Mara will likely still have to fight for substantial playing time, especially considering his lackluster Summer League play.
After the superb play of Jaylin Williams last season, the Isaiah Hartenstein extension, and the return of 2025 first-rounder Thomas Sorber, Mara won't be the only frontcourt mouth to feed.
This decrease in responsibilities is a great thing for him. He will be able to focus on his previously outstanding rim protection, as well as his post-up creation and lob capabilities.
As Mara further progresses in his career and evolves his game, his duties will increase, but for now, having a smaller but clearer job on this OKC Thunder roster will best suit him.
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