The debate that often comes with drafting basketball players is selecting the best player available or one that would fit the team best. Teams often choose based on their current priorities, with the best player available often being a prime concern for franchises taking on a developmental route. Meanwhile, squads that choose fit over talent are typically contenders and franchises with a set direction. 

It’s rare for a team to find a player that ticks off both those boxes, which is why the Oklahoma City Thunder have only added to their embarrassment of riches with the selection of Aday Mara. 

Mara clearly looked like he belonged even if it was still the preseason. The fluidity on offense and the defensive ability were on full display. It’s rare to see big men with his talent be this ready this early, more so when he knows how to use his body and find the right spots to catch defenses off guard. 

The “knock” on Mara (if it can be called as such) was that entering the NBA Draft, he was a junior. But the three years he spent with the UCLA Bruins and Michigan Wolverines may have put him in a better position to enter the league than if he entered it as a 19-year old. At 21 years old, Mara is still young with some room for further polish. He also won an NCAA championship, a feat even the one-and-dones have failed to do, so there’s no question about the Spaniard’s ability to contribute to a winning team. Moreover, he already has demonstrated abilities that drew comparisons to the likes of Pau Gasol and Domantas Sabonis  while scoring in ways other players his age can barely do so in team drills. 

Through four preseason games, Mara has averaged a little under 24 minutes per game and it remains to be seen if he will be afforded as many opportunities in the regular season. Chet Holmgren is firmly entrenched as the Thunder’s starting center and Isaiah Hartenstein is more or less set as OKC’s backup center along with Jaylin Williams. Then again, all three did not even play 70 games, and so Mara could find some chances to get off the bench. 

But even those opportunities may not offer much for Mara, who would be too good to keep off the court. A trade could open up bigger opportunities, whether that means a role opens up in OKC or he joins another team and brings the Thunder an asset with his departure. Players like him are rare to find so there will be a demand for someone of his caliber especially when teams are looking to firm up their rosters later in the season. 

Regardless, Aday Mara has made quite the introduction this early into his NBA career. The Oklahoma City Thunder knew what they were getting when they selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but given their current roster construction, he is unfortunately as good as a future Thunder draft pick.  How Mara will be deployed this season is still unknown, but right now, he will more likely than not make the 11 teams that passed on him (and those that did not trade up for him) rethink their summer decisions.