Thunder select Michigan big man Aday Mara, a possible answer for Victor Wembanyama at 7-foot-3

Aday Mara’s defense helped Michigan win a national championship this year. The Oklahoma City Thunder are likely hoping he can do something similar for them next season.

With the No. 12 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected Mara, giving them the best true big man in the class and a potential defensive standout at the next level at a towering 7-foot-3.

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Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor had Mara ranked as the No. 8 player in the draft, praising his basketball IQ and his hands in addition to his size:

Mara stepped on UCLA's campus as a lottery-projected center from Spain. Then he fell off draft boards during two forgettable seasons there before transferring to Michigan and becoming one of the best true 5s in the country on his way to winning the national championship. He reads the floor like a guard, finishes with both hands, and swats shots with elite timing. The complication is he doesn't shoot from outside, makes below 60% of his free throws, and opponents are going to attack him on the perimeter.

Unlike most lottery picks, Mara lands with a team that will be contending for a title next year. He has his offensive limitations, but the Thunder plainly don’t need much from their centers beyond interior defense and not getting in the way on offense.

However, it gets interesting when you remember what happened to the Thunder last season. With both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell limited by injuries, the defending champions got bounced in seven games by Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The Frenchman earned series MVP honors by averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.

Chet Holmgren nearly disappeared opposite his would-be rival, while remaining rotation big men Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams could only do so much. Any team that wants to credibly challenge the Spurs in the West is likely going to need a Wembanyama plan, and OKC’s just wasn’t good enough.

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Enter the 21-year-old Mara, who should not be expected to be ready to handle Wembanyama from Day 1. Far from it. By selecting him, the Thunder are simply picking up a guy who could grow into an answer for Wembanyama on defense, with a pick teams like them rarely get. Wembanyama projects to be a long-term problem for them, so they’re looking for long-term answers.

Mara transferred to Michigan last season after two so-so years at UCLA and quickly turned into a central part of their team, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors for the national champions. He was one of three Wolverines lottery picks on Tuesday, with Morez Johnson reuniting with head coach Dusty May on the Dallas Mavericks at No. 9 overall and Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg going to the Golden State Warriors at No. 11.