The Oklahoma City Thunder were denied a second consecutive NBA championship by the San Antonio Spurs this season.
On Tuesday night, in the 2026 NBA draft, it was clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder viewed Michigan basketball star Aday Mara as one potential solution.
When you have to defend a 7-foot-4 superstar, why not draft a 7-foot-3 defensive stalwart? On its face, the move makes perfect sense just with that reasoning. The 12th overall pick, Mara, showed what he could last season, especially in a Final Four game against Arizona with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks as Michigan basketball won that game, and eventually the national championship.
The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was the best rim protector in college basketball last season. He was the anchor to Michigan's national-championship defense, although he averaged just 23.3 minutes per game in 2025-26.
Mara played just 13 minutes per game for UCLA in 2024-25. So he took a big step forward in that regard. Obviously, he won't be guarding Wemby just one-on-one, but in the painted area, if there was one man in the NBA draft that could neutralize Wemby inside, it was Mara.
Wemby can do things that most 7-foot-4 players could never dream of. He's a center, but he can handle the ball, iso, shoot the 3-point shot, and do it all. Mara can't shut that down by himself. He can own the paint, though, just like Karl Anthony-Towns did.
Aday Mara can be a stellar offensive player, too
Beyond his defensive prowess, it's the offensive ability of Mara that's really just reaching its potential. Mara shot 66.8 percent from the field last season and 30 percent from 3-point range on limited attempts. He also made just 56.4 percent of his free throws, although he improved down the stretch.
Mara's passing and his ability to score at the rim, from the low post, are where he can really excel offensively. Beyond being a lob threat and an elite rebounder, Mara has tremendous foot speed for a 7-foot-3 center. It's not on par with Wemby, but it's enough to give the superstar fits.
Shooting the ball over Mara is different. Teams learned that in college basketball last season, to the point that Michigan's defense wasn't the same without him. Oklahoma City will soon feel that way, too, and if they are going to conquer the Spurs in the future, Mara could have a key role to play.
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