The Oklahoma City Thunder were one game away from playing for back-to-back NBA Championships. But Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs proved to be too much, beating the Thunder in Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
Wembanyama was, obviously, the biggest reason for the loss.
So, the Thunder took direct action in the 2026 NBA Draft. They selected Michigan Wolverine center Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick.
Mara, who has a ridiculous standing reach of 9-foot-9, will attempt to mitigate Wemby’s length. The Michigan big man set a school record with 104 blocks during his third season in college.
He spent his first two years at UCLA, struggling to get minutes on the court. But once he made the transfer to Michigan, Mara’s career took off.
Last year, the 7-foot-3, 240-pound Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game in just over 23 minutes.
The Thunder already have an All-Star center in Chet Holmgren. But during the West Finals against the Spurs, Wemby completely dominated. Holmgren was almost non-existent throughout the series. The difference in production from the regular season to that particular matchup had to have stayed in the minds of the Thunder brass.
Mara is a solid ball-handler for a man his size. He sets good screens and knows how to move without the ball. But he does not possess anything close to Holmgren’s offensive ability.
So, it will be interesting to see how minutes are doled out next season.
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