Aday Mara: have the Thunder found the answer to Wembanyama?
Skip Bayless is a fan of the Thunder’s selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. In the analyst’s view, Aday Mara has all the tools to become one of the most intriguing big men in his draft class
As always, salary cap management and championship aspirations go hand in hand. In the middle of major efforts to significantly reduce their luxury tax burden – highlighted by the trade of Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks – the Oklahoma City Thunder sent a clear message about their competitive ambitions during the 2026 NBA Draft, selecting center Aday Mara with the No. 12 overall pick.
It was a structural move designed to address the only true physical weakness exposed during last season’s Western Conference Finals, when Victor Wembanyama dominated both inside and outside the paint throughout the series.
The addition of the former Michigan big man, a 7-foot-3 Spanish center and reigning NCAA champion, immediately sparked discussion among analysts. Among them was Skip Bayless, who pointed out on X that the Thunder may have finally added the physical countermeasure needed to challenge Wembanyama’s overwhelming presence.
The Thunder just drafted the antidote to Wemby, a defender who can look him straight in the eye
Skip Bayless
The value of Sam Presti’s investment is backed up by the numbers Mara posted during his final season with the Wolverines. He averaged 12.1 points on an impressive 66.8% shooting from the field, along with 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Those performances earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and convinced Oklahoma City’s front office to bet on his size, verticality, and rim protection to strengthen its frontcourt.
The numbers posted by Wembanyama in the Western Conference Finals – 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, while shooting 48% from the field and 40% from three-point range – highlighted just how urgent it was for OKC to address the issue. For many observers, one possible solution had even been trading Chet Holmgren.
While the recent NBA Finals, won by the New York Knicks, showed that the Spurs’ star can struggle against defenders with a lower center of gravity and that his perimeter ball-handling still leaves room for mistakes, Mara’s presence will give the Thunder a very different dimension in the paint.
The rookie enters the league backed by elite rim-protection metrics, qualities that should make him the anchor of Oklahoma City’s second defensive unit in the future – and inevitable – battles with San Antonio for Western Conference supremacy.